Going on a road trip from San Diego to L.A., my friends and I were starting to get hungry. So we looked around on yelp to see where we could stop at along our journey that wouldn't take us too far out of the way. Lo and Behold, Bob's Big Boy Broiler was that place! Which was great, because we were all in the mood for burgers! Well, What can I really say? It was a really great burger restaurant! I especially enjoyed the sweet potato fries that I ordered with my burger!
(4)
Armando V.
The building of this Big Boy's restaurant holds a great historic sentiment to the city of Downey. It was known as Johnnies broiler and was used often for movies (Most noticeably License to Drive). After it closed down it became a car dealership (horrible) and after that floundered the owner tried to tear it down to the dismay of locals there. After a lawsuit by the city to stop the tear down it was settled that the historic location was to be restored and made into a Bob's big boy. There is plenty of parking and it does have a drive thru. They really did a wonderful job keeping the same diner setting that Johnnies had. Inside they give a great tribute of the classic restaurant with wall pictures during Johnnies hay days. This is a real classy touch by Bob's Big Boy. Now on to the food and service. I've only had their breakfasts to this point. I recent had their avocado omelet. It came with a side of hash brown and a couple of pancakes. The omelet also comes with bacon bits. Everything was descent. The service overall was solid. It wasn't packed at the time so there really was no excuse for anything less. Not sure how the place does when it's packed. Just the historic factor of this place is reason enough to come here. Growing up near the area it makes me happy to see a place dating back to my childhood restored and maintained.
(4)
Krystalyna C.
I came here with my family before heading out to Universal Studios. We came during (late) brunch and thankfully they serve breakfast all day. I haven't had traditional American breakfast for a long time and this place did not disappoint! We all ordered something different and we all enjoyed it a lot. I had the omelet (the farm-something one) with hash browns and two pancakes. And WOW. Everything was so good. The omelet wasn't overly cheesy, the hash browns were crispy and the pancakes were perfectly fluffy. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for it all again. I'm glad we came here not only because the food ended up being good, but because it's a historical restaurant chain that's been featured in TV and films. I clearly remember the kid holding the burger in one of the Austin Powers film, haha. Also, our server was great. The waiting time was a little too long for our liking since we were so hungry, but it was well worth it. If you're ever in SoCal, go visit a Bob's because you won't regret it!
(5)
Mike T.
Came here looking for a trip down memory lane but instead found disappointment. Got seated after a couple of minutes and we ordered Big Boys combos like we used to. Burgers were saturated in mayo and essentially tasteless. Couldn't finish them. So I guess it's true. You can't go back. I couldn't recommend coming here. Staff was friendly. No problems there.
(2)
Dexter M.
We been wanting to come here since it open!!! Great food n lots of fries. Brewed ice tea excellent. We got burger n chicken sandwich. Delishesness with fast friendly service. Our waitress, Valerie was phenomenal. The portions are generous. I can't wait to return for breakfast. They gave all u can eat breakfast buffet for 9.99
(4)
Yvette M.
My boyfriend and I dine in at bobs today. Food is really good but the waitress that was suppose to "help" us was in a bad mood She was rude to us from the moment we walked in her name is (JANNET) at least that's what they told us her name was. shes a tall blonde lady with blue eyes she said we had to wait because there was people in front of us and we said it was okay didn't ask us if we wanted something to drink nothing just gave us attitude. Then she walks up to another couple that just walked in sat them down and asked them if they wanted something to drink with a very nice manner. All though out our dine in she was being rude she threw us our straws at us like we didn't matter. But we didn't let it get to us because it was our first time trying this place out & it was a bad experience!!!!! So you won't be hearing from us any more.
(1)
Lena H.
Not long ago my husband and I caught a show at the Downey Performing Arts Center. After the show we were starving and it was rather late so we were looking for something that stayed open into the wee hours of the night. While I searched my handy dandy Yelp app, my husband happened to mention that a Bob's Big Boy was near by. Well I'm a sucker for burgers so I was in! The diner is newer and looked very clean and modern retro. They had an old jukebox that my husband refused to let me play with, for fear that I would put on some crazy music, hey who doesn't like a good rendition of Tom Jones "What's New Pussycat" (on loop, hehehehehe). So, whether it worked or not I'll have to find out on the next visit. Speaking of music, given that it's a 50s theme diner I was expecting some music to go with the theme but instead they were playing some new age sitar soundtrack. It was nice but it felt just a wee bit out of place. As I mentioned we visited late in the night, and the diner was I would say less than 1/4 full. There were tons of empty tables and plenty of room for large groups had there been any. We sat at the counter instead of a booth (the hubby's choice). Our server took our drink order and quickly returned to take our food order. My husband order chicken fried steak and I went with a regular burger. This is where it gets a bit unsatisfactory. The place was practically empty and it took almost 30 minutes to get our food. Why it took so long is beyond me. Once our food arrived not only did it look dry it was indeed dry to the bone. Which leads me to believe that our food had been prepared in a reasonable amount of time but left to sit under the heat lamps. Still we ate what we could. As far as the taste well as I said dry it was. It's kinda hard to enjoy a burger when you have to wash down every bite with water just to make sure you don't accidentally choke on a piece. The food was plain bad. I'm hoping that they were having an off night. I'd hate to see a cool restaurant like this go under but if the food doesn't improve I can't foresee much of a future. As for service it was ok, our server was nice and tended to us, nothing to rave about but at least nothing to really complain about either. We'll try it again and hopefully the food will be better....pretty please!!! *crossing fingers*
(2)
Laura O.
Most places you go to eat at you usually pass on the dessert menu and just call it a day. Well at this place, let your tummy do most of the thinking and talking for you and order a milkshake! They are delicious! Vanilla preferably but the Strawberry one is also a keeper. As the waitress or waiter brings your milkshake to you, you will notice another object near your milkshake and it happens to be the left over ice cream that they used to make the milkshake. Definitely a not-to-waste treat! Of course before ordering this little taste of heaven, go on and order some hotcakes with sausage patties or even better, the steak and eggs! Steak is made at your taste so don't be shy. Country fried steak on a Sunday morning? Yes! All this happiness is served all day! No need to speed over in your muscle cars to try and get breakfast, ( I mean you can if you wish) because it will be available.
(5)
Karen A.
What a huge disappointment! I had such fond memories of going to Bob's on Whittier Blvd after high school football games in the sixties. I was hoping to capture some of that joy by ordering what I'd get then at the Downey Bob's. Sadly, they used very stale rolls and slimy lettuce for our sandwiches. What a shame!
Drove in from Palm Springs area for a Sunday night car show. Treated myself to a Big Boy and fries. Brought back good memories of how good Bob's was back in the 60's. Nice to be served by a professional waitress. Places like this are 'crown jewels' for in the sea of endless 'MacFranchies' of today. Took home spaghetti and chili for my wife.
(5)
Jay S.
I grew up eating at Bobs Big Boy. I've had a lot of fond memories going there and seeing the big Bob standing out front. The food was always delicious, growing up. Throughout the years, I've noticed that the restaurant chain has downsized like many other restaurants. I was excited when I came across this Bobs. Unfortunately, my last visit there wasn't a good one. I ordered fried chicken breast with mashed potatoes. This was the first time I've ordered that. The mashed potatoes were not bad, but I can't say the same for the chicken breast (See attached pictures). After a few bites of eating the chicken, I noticed that it had a funny taste. I looked down at my "fried" chicken breast and noticed that the chicken was completely raw on the inside. I returned the chicken and they replaced it with a new one. The second chicken breast I got was cooked throughly but my appetite was gone. The next morning, I woke up feeling nauseated and not feeling to good. I haven't gone to the doctors yet but planning on going tonight if I don't feel better. The people who work there are very nice and were quick to apologize about the food, so I give them two stars. As for the experience and food, I give no stars. Stomach aches, cramps and nausea have ruined my taste for Bobs Big Boy and I will not be returning.
(2)
Johnny V.
First Time Coming Here And I Gotta Say It Was Pretty Good. Came Here Just For A Burger Plain And Simple Not To Try Out Anything Else On The Menu. Order The Super BigBoy Double Deck Burger, I Was Quite Hungry And It Did Fill Me Up Substantially. Service Is Pretty Fast Took About 15Minutes For My Order Too Come Out Could Be Better But That's Not A Problem. Oh Just Don't Expect The Burger Patty To be Thick and Juicy It Resembles the Patties You Can Find In A Big Mac. Defiantly Returning Here To Dine.
(5)
Ozzie P.
It's 11:06pm and in n outs lobby was closed but you know who wasn't ... Bobs!!! Came in grabbed a Modelo a coke and some Bomb ass burgers! They are so good that they call them the best in the WORLD!
(5)
Angel C.
I've been here three times now. My first experience was great, came with my mom for breakfast. The service was on point, she was very attentive with us and her other tables. The inside is very loud, but nice looking, and there's plenty of room for several parties. The food was delicious, some of the best diner food I've had. I ordered Banana Caramel pancakes (I think?) with some bacon and eggs. The pancakes were thinner than I'm used to, but were so soft and delicious I couldn't find a problem with it while I stuffed my mouth. This prompted another visit for me. Second experience was just okay. This time came in a large group with other family members, a little over ten of us. The server seemed either new and nervous or just having an off day. He forgot a few of our orders, actually mistook an order, and kept forgetting the items we'd ask for (napkins, forks, cream, sugar).The food was good, though. This time I had a chili omelette -I wanted to try their 'signature' food, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I wasn't too impressed, but it was good nonetheless. Thought I'd give them another shot, so I came with four people; brothers, sister and mother. Service was sub par again - this server kept making little mistakes here and there. Things like picking up forks off the ground and putting them back on the table, thumbs on plates he was serving, forgetting certain items we'd ask for, and last, but not least what turned me off most to this place; he reached across the table from where I was and I was able to smell the odor emitting from his underarm. Yeah. Probably won't see this place for a while, or maybe ever.
(2)
Crystal A.
This place is horrible and service Sucks ! I got the fried chicken it had no flavor and to top it off it was raw !! Never again will I go back
(1)
Cris A.
Great American breakfast !people always friendly along with great food they host car show here on wed and some Sunday's if u stop by make sure try their shakes it's a must
(5)
Jason B.
Solid breakfast at this place. It has that classic diner look and feel. If you are looking for good food and that 1950's vibe come check out this place!
(5)
Jenni M.
I have to credit my hubby just a little bit for making my most recent experience (4/7/14) at Bob's Big Boy a nice one. How many people cruise up in a loud, rumbling '59 Chevy to a '50s inspired diner? Not many when we went at around 7:30 p.m. In fact, I saw no other classic cars much less any REAL muscle cars. They all must have been on standby since the final NCAA game was near the end. UConn vs Kentucky. Who'd you pick? Neither!!! So, service has always been just a little on the slow side each time we have been there together. It wasn't too bad tonight, though. Our waitress was very sweet and dressed the part of the 50s diner waitress well. She even brought out some chopped up bananas for our baby. Thank you, Diana (Jorge, too, since he took over during her break)! I highly recommend that you order a shake. My husband prefers peanut butter. But I really like the caramel butter pecan. It was a yummy treat, and of course, I finished it instead of the salad I ordered. The salad was huge. I ordered what I think was called the fiesta chicken salad. You may get it with your choice of salad dressing, but I ordered Ranch. It was a fresh, tasty salad. If you're not up for a typical burger, then this is a good healthy choice. Thank you, also, Diana, for letting my husband order the drive-thru special (1/4 cheeseburger w/fries for I think $5.99). It's a neat historical diner to visit if you're in the area. You may not fall in love with the food there, but again I recommend a shake. They have several different flavors. Sit at one of the barstools & just have dessert & coffee. Friendly service. Mostly clean restaurant. Not too busy of a place each time we've went, but it's usually on a week night. Nostalgic 50s diner - not that I wouldn't know anything about that era. But, there are some really nice leather booths in the back. And the TV is constant with the ESPN news. Review #228
(4)
Joanna F.
After getting our oil changed across the street today, My Daughter ,Granddaughter (age4) and myself decided to go have lunch here. After waiting 15 minutes to be seated. We finally get seated and wait an.additional 15 to 20 minutes for a waiter or waitress to even take our.drink orders,after flagging someone.down we FINALLY get our orders taken and wait and wait . Finally our food arrives and to our disgust and horror my Granddaughters Bacon Cheeseburger has mold on the bun. I immediately call over our waitress and.show her and she is equally disgusted and apologetic and says she will send the manager right over. She does and his name was Moises, He says I am so sorry, what can I do? I need to contact my bakery because the whole tray of buns was moldy! Not my problem! If you knew that then why would you send it out? He had no answer for me! I told him that was Unacceptable and I was not going to pay for that. He asked if we wanted something else off the menu because it was just the kids buns that were moldy, Seriously? You intended on serving moldy buns to kids hoping no one would notice? My Granddaughter was hungry and REALLY wanted a burger, so we apprenhensively ordered a regular sized burger for her in its place. After this we are all just not hungry. My daughter used the restroom and was horrified at how disgusting and dirty it was . We will never come back here again and the health department seriously needs to shut this place down. MOISES was also.very rude ! I told him he needed to Comp our meal and he said "You ate it didn't you"? I replied "Some of it" , but we didnt enjoy it! He very rudely then said Let me.take it away then. He very angrily & rudely took our food and then got in my 4 year old granddaughter s face and said "You want to keep this or you want me to take it away? She was scared and confused. How dare he! As he took our awful.meal away, we got up.and our waitress continued to apologize. I slipped her $5 and we left. I think Moises was expecting us to pay for almost poisoning my Granddaughter! I will NEVER.GO THERE AGAIN AND I AM REPORTING THEM TO THE.HEALTH DEPARTMENT.I'M ALSO REPORTING.MOISES TO THE CORPORATE.OFFICE for intimidating and screaming in my granddaughter's face.! 3 hours.later and I feel like I want to vomit!! I hope its not food.poisoning!
(1)
Daniel S.
Great double decker hamburger, fries and great service! I had the Deluxe double decker with bigger patties and couldn't finish the fries! The buffet bar looks really good too and very clean...next time I'll try the buffet bar. Angie was the best waitress and REALLY cute too with pretty eyes and cute dimples! She took the time to chat with me about how the owner renovated the place and gave me a little history lesson about the place too. Only thing missing was the little juke box selector at the table!
(4)
Brian B.
A classic & much like many of the cars that Show up every Friday it was neglected abused and scrapped. Bob' steeped in and restored Otto glory ! Good food, lots of memory's and wonderful service. Clime in a classic and cruzeiro on in or use the cruse thru window,
(5)
Image C.
We came in for breakfast, even though it was lunch time. There wasn't anyone to set us so we just sat at the bar top. The waitress told us their special. Over all it was a great place
(4)
Cosmic Mom C.
It does the job. Basic breakfast. Good service which I could care less about. Loud enough so my kids don't stand out. California Eggs Benedict are pretty good. .
(3)
Kenny B.
The good: very clean and wonderful looking building. Thinking i liked the style of johnnies more but i still like the look a lot. Service was good...they were attentive...but not to the point of annoying. Salad was good (i like that bobs big boy blue cheese). ..although i think this may have been a slightly different recipe than the one i normally see at other bobs big boys (definently at the store....hint was that it was too liquidy). Fun jukebox music in the background The two car hop girls i saw outside. Lol. .just sayin'. .... The bad: Burger was small and had no real taste at all. I am positive there was no seasoning on it. No flavor at all...i had to sprinke salt, pepper, and whatever else i could find to get some taste and i still got nothing. Was really disappointed. Seriously mcdonalds has more flavor. Would i come back. Sure...i'd try the breakfast out only. As for the burger...probably not again.
(2)
John B.
Incredibly friendly staff, prompt and attentive. I find myself why I haven't been here to this location before... But I will be back. Clean, comfortable, and classic! I cannot ask for more. Thank you!
(5)
Carol N.
Love Bob's big boy. The food is great and the price is reasonable. If you go ask for Diana, great waitress with a happy attitude.
(5)
Maurice S.
If you are looking for a nostalgic experience then by all means go. If it's the old taste of Bob's Big Boy famous original double burger then stay far away! First off my girlfriend and I sat down and was not approached by our server for almost 15 min. Once approached we decided to order the famous double burger. My question to everyone, when did Bob's turn into McDonalds? The burger came out and it was very small with thin parties. The relish was so over powering that it took over the burger experience. Now usually you have a server come over several times to ask if you need anything. The service is atrocious! We had to get up and ask the busboy to fill our drinks. So go to relive your past but be forewarned, it's NOT like it used to be.
(2)
Sunny A.
Oh man. Its not like the old days. How this place has good reviews is beyond me. I ordered The Original Double decker cheeseburger. It seriously looked like a Big Mac, and taste very similar to one! The patties were thin and had that frozen taste to them. The burger comes with a middle bun that I removed because the patties were so thin that it was too much bread. The fries were good the side salad was sad, half wilted lettuce with super watery ranch dressing. The Boyfriend got the deluxe burger with the middle bun on the side. He said it was just meh. The only thing that made it somewhat good was that he asked for bacon with the buger. Which was an extra $2! On top of our order we got a peanut butter fudge shake. It sucked! It was all peanutbutter and no chocolate. We addressed this and they took it off the tab. Our waitress Barbra or Brenda we cant remember her name. Was nice but inattentive. She paid more attention to her other 3 tables (the place was empty), which from the looks of it seemed to be the regulars. Overall avoid this place and just go to McDonald's their burgers taste the same. Fronks in Belflower is the place to go for a good burger!!!!!
(1)
Nicole B.
I love eating here!! The food is bombb and I love how cool the inside looks. Super edgy. Definitely request Kayleigh to be your server, she is always super helpful and has a great attitude. I get the cheeseburger with pastrami fries every time and it tastes amazing.
(5)
Davina D.
This place is just ok. I heard it was awesome back in the day but times change I guess. I don't recommend the Mac and cheese tasted so bland and they use kraft it seems like. The supreme blt isn't supreme by far it needed more bacon and less lettuce. The kitchen sink burger is the best thing I've had so far. I don't recommend the green brisk tea either cuz it's too sweet. I'll come back but stick with their big mac style burger which is their signature I hear...
(3)
Lizbeth P.
The food was AMAZING!! the bread was so soft, ingredients fresh, fries not greasy. Drinks stayed filled. Took a star away because the server seemed overwhelmed with to many tables, had to wait to order which usually wouldn't have been a huge deal but I was starving. I could hear the servers talking behind the counter way too loud. But other than that it was a great experience.
(4)
Oscar L.
Ordered a super big boy, I asked for jalapeños in my burger and they gave me a whole pepper cut in four slices which wasn't even grilled. Because my food took about 20-25 minutes to come out I didn't say a thing. The burger patty also lacked seasoning. Waiter was cool, although I didn't catch his name cause he seemed busy but still did a good job. I had options today as to where I should treat myself... safe to say I regret my decision unfortunately.
(2)
Vee V.
Nice! Clean and delicious. my boyfriend was telling me about the history of this place, very interesting. Also our server, "Diana" is soooo adorable and pleasant! I ordered the strawberry shake and the Bob's burger. tonight its pretty busy but even then they seated us quickly and keep checking in on us:)
(5)
Amber V.
Nobody said hi to us until 10 minutes of me being there . I took my 4 yr old brother so they could definitely here us . anyway the price I thought was a little to much for the simple burger I ordered . but I very big on neat and cleanness and that it was excellent for in both plus the services after she finally got to us wasn't so bad .
(2)
Martha S.
It's okay for breakfast, the offer buffet options but I always rather just order from the kitchen because you're going to get a fresh plate. The buffet surprisingly does have good menudo. And the folks are always really nice.
(3)
Judith S.
Quiet honestly one of my favorite restaurants. This is probably the shortest review I will ever right for any establishment. A lengthy review is quite useless. The Bob's Big Boy legacy lives on in it's ambiance and it's food. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu...unless you have a food allergy or something of the sort. Highly recommend ending your meal with a hearty dessert. You will not be disappointed.
(5)
Danny D.
Dans reminiscing of the 80s when it was called johnies broiler or harveys broiler. Theres a drive through to.
(5)
Veronica A.
Got my order wrong. Took forever. Mac n cheese is from a box. Never brought the mustard.
(1)
Terry M.
Blast to the past. This place was rebuilt after a fire a few years ago. Great job on recreating the old structure. The food is traditional American and it's nothing special. Once again traditional. The waitresses take the whole 50's era very seriously. What I love is the older customers who come in with the full 50's gear. There are nights where car clubs park here and you can come and gawk at there cars. Will always come back. It's part of Downey history.
(3)
Desire R.
I love this place!! Brings back great memories of when my grandpa would take me to the one in San Bernardo :) #throwback lol They always have a great attitude and look happy to be there serving you! It's always a good thing when they have beer for those days right? Lol that's what won me over even more.. They serve bottle beer! Anyhow back to the food! It's really yummy ..the ambience is great and the staff is superb. Rock n roll is always the way to go right?
(5)
Ralph V.
My wife and I were in the neighborhood looking for a late-night dinner and we decided to try this place out. The last time we were here it was the old Johnny's Broiler. I had my reservations about this place, thinking that a corporation like Bob's Big Boy would kill any nostalgia of the old place. I was wrong, big time. The entire place was classically decorated in Googie architecture, paying homage to the original Harvey's / Johnny's Broiler restaurants and Downey's space-age history (bonus points for saving a part of the old signage and displaying it in the parking lot). Can't complain about the food. Generous portions, and pretty tasty. Not the best diner-style food, but it's as good as it'll get from a chain restaurant. The service was AWESOME (our server definitely earned the 25% tip we left him). We'll definitely return to this restaurant when we're in the area.
(4)
Patty F.
Excellent customer service and delicious food! I loved eating here and will be back soon :)
(5)
Charles C.
If you ever been to Johnie's Broiler, before it turned into Bob's, the management did a great job in maintaining the look and feel of the old diner. It's always fun to go on Wednesday nights and see the classic cars, while potentially sitting in Robert De Niro and Al Pacino's booth, from Heat. Good solid classic American food and all the waitresses have a motherly helpful personality. The only thing I can nit pick about is the cleanliness of the booths. They may need to have a bus boy per section, to really get the crumbs and liquid after every meal.
(4)
Mary B.
I came here twice. Once for breakfast and once for lunch. The smell when you first walk in is pretty bad. It kind of smelled like smelly feet lol, but then you get used to it. Anyway, the food was OK. There wasnt anything spectacular about it. This place reminds me of Carrows.
(3)
Johana C.
Love going to big boys but this locations does not serve good food! I got a French dip , I took a bite and it felt like I was biting into bread with salt. The meat had no flavor and the dip sauce tasted like salt and water. I don't think I'll come back to this location .
(2)
Shawnta G.
I have NEVER been so upset of the quality of food as well as service. This restaurant was horrible. I ordered my burger without mayonand relish. I received it with relish. The assisting waiter said oh it wasnt on there. Then he comes back with my food and says there is a drop of relish on ur bun. This was by far the most horrible experience I have ever had at a Bob's Big Boy's restaurant.
(1)
Esteban P.
First things first i love big boys burgers but todays service was horrible the servers were not being attentive as well as with my meal was supposed to come with pancakes but never showed the server didn't even notice our drinks needed refilling until e got our food place is nice and clean but the service was just bad
(1)
Nery P.
Wow What a delicious chocolate banana shake Zesty tortilla soup Buffalo Chicken burger Fast friendly service Thanks Janette
(4)
Miguel A.
We had a great experience here the food was great but the service that we got from Diane our waiter was fantastic she's a great example of Costumer service friendly staff above and beyond I don't understand peoples reviews here this is a we'll put place.
(5)
Fran D.
Service and food is still great, really enjoyed my breakfast , food was great. Thought all the condiments didn't even had to ask
(5)
Jackie A.
Does it really take 40min to make a burger? This place was slow.. It shouldn't have taken this long!
(1)
Diana M.
I love there burgers here best thing ever is there onion rings they were so good bomb af wit there ranch ummm ummm ummm can't wait to go back again
(5)
Angela M.
Blehhhhh! Man o' man has this place gone downhill! Bad food: fries were disgusting and old, corned beef Reuben was just gross,the meat was fatty and just flavorless. The hamburger relish doesn't taste the same, it's pretty bland. My family and I would always go to Bobs Big Boy back in the day and then they started closing, so it has only been a few times that we have gone in the past years and those few times have not been memorable. I happen to live by the Downey BBB and since then have gone twice and both times have not been happy with what I got. I will never go back again, what a waste of calories and money!
(1)
Jenny S.
I had breakfast here and it was the most disgusting experience I've had by far. The eggs Benedict sauce felt like it went old. The Belgian waffle had no taste at all, adding the strawberries and whipped cream really made no difference to the waffle. The omelette had a really weird taste. I think they used egg beaters, which is something I did not ask for. Not even the avocado was good, it was very hard. I came in hungry and left hungry. I gave one star because they don't have an option for -0 .
(1)
Dee W.
I have not stepped foot into this place since it was Johnny's Broiler & I was about 11 years old. We've come here twice, recently. Once for lunch on a random weekday & at a time when it was fairly slow & also this Saturday during a busy time & to my surprise the service, speed & quality was exact the same. We have yet to order something we have not enjoyed! So nice to have a GREAT diner nearby! OMG I'M HUNGRY NOW!!!!
(5)
Andrea G.
Popped in for some eats on a Thursday morning. I was told to sit anywhere. I chose a booth. Tanner was my server. I had an egg white omlette with veggies, sliced tomato and coffee. My breakfast came out hot, my tomatos were perfectly sliced, my coffee was always full and Tanner gave me excellent service.
(3)
Cathy W.
My friends and I went out for an impromptu late dinner and I had a craving for a milkshake, so we decided to eat at Bob's Big Boy. This was my first time here and I was really impressed by the service! Although they weren't busy this late at night, we were greeted with a genuine smile and our server brought beverage refills came before we even asked for them. I was on the fence about between the caramel butter pecan or the chocolate turtle milkshake & our server kindly explained the ingredients in each one. Our server asked me if liked my milkshake and actually listened to the answer! Typically when I'm dining out, it seems like the server always asks you about the food when you're mid-bite and disappears without really listening to what you have to say. When I explained how it did not taste like butter pecan or caramel, he offered to switch it out for another flavor or adjust with more caramel without charge. I opted for the chocolate turtle instead and it was waaaaay better! Overall, we received friendly, attentive service and the food was decent. We will return next time we have a craving for burgers and shakes. :)
(4)
Carrie B.
Good food and atmosphere. Went to Bob's Big Boy a lot as a kid so coming here brings me a little bit back. Had a great steak and my husband really enjoyed the chili. Shared a hot fudge sundae. Having our Groupon made it that much better.
(4)
Rachael T.
Bob's Big Boy has always been a special childhood memory. As a kid, we went to the one on the side of a major highway on the way back from the hills, but when they put one in Downey, I was ecstatic. Their chocolate Malts are the best! And their burgers and fries are only second to in n out. They're a little pricy, but the food is totally worth it. The rating does not fit the quality for this place; I can't believe, like so many other places on Yelp, that Bob's only has a three to four star rating!
(5)
Wenders B.
First time here. I ordered some burger with avocado, and it was really good! The waitress was very attentive, she brought everyone a refill without having to ask for one. I am willing to come back when I am nearby.
(4)
Jimmy V.
Any dogs I order I make sure to ask for pastrami fries because when a guy wants to eat a guy wants to eat,and if I'm not mistaken this is the only place that offers this delectable side!
(4)
Eli G.
Honestly, go to Pete's Patio. Service sucked for a slow Thursday afternoon. Fries and onion rings were chewy. Didn't even feel like sending them back. The burgers were ok and the place was clean.
(3)
Lola B.
Our waitress was just beyond awesome. She was so funny and remembered our order and she was very attentive. We hadn't been to Bobs Big Boy in about two years and we usually go to the location near Palos Verdes. I had not been to this location since it was Jonnies Broilers and that was about 16 years ago right before it closed . It was pretty awesome being back on here . Food and service was great. Parking was awful due to the car club of Hondas and Racing cars outside but we eventually found parking down the block about 45 min later. The kids loved it. Had a great family night regardless
(5)
Lilly S.
In the neighborhood and decided to try Bob's for the first time. Definitely regret not trying it earlier. Thank goodness places like these are still open in 2014. Great burgers and great fries. Small note to add...they forgot to add 1 order of fries. I would've taken away a star if the wrap I ordered wasn't enormous and overall delicious.
(5)
Noro Z.
Came here with the guys on a Monday night had the best service by Alison and Jorge, Jorge told us about the special for Monday nights and it was exactly what we wanted, drinks came promptly and burgers were great! I will be back for the service and food again!
(5)
Denise G.
This was one of my favorite places to eat but over the last few months the quality of food and service has declined, I'm usually a Sunday morning regular but have stopped since a while ago because I just feel that the service is no longer the same, last night was probably my last time I will visit, granted it was Christmas but it was not too busy there we figured it would be a decent experience, our waitress is one I always try to avoid when I go because I feel like she's the only one in the whole place that has a horrible attitude but with our luck that's who we got, she very rudely took our order, we ordered 2 steaks well done when arrived they were cooked medium and rare, we asked for loaded mashed potatoes and they were regular, we sent one steak back and it came back still red! Not pink but red! This time without one of the sides, my eggs, hashbrowns, and pancakes were all cold aside from my steak being under cooked, our kids were done with their meal way before she came to ask if everything was ok we told her no and she just walked away! A few mins later we spoke to the manager and she comped us the steak which was decent on her behalf and she did make us feel like she cared but then the waitress came back and ruined by saying "sorry but theyre really busy in there" they're really busy so we have to receive shitty food and service? Let me remind you it wasn't that busy and I've been there during busier times and my service and food was excellent! I don't think I will ever return to this location again.
(1)
Dfe G.
Looooove coming here for breakfast with my fiance on the weekends. Servings are huge, waitresses are sweet and service is pretty fast. It can get pretty busy sometimes so call ahead to ask about a wait.
(5)
Annabel F.
Love this place it's our third time back, great service and food. My daughter spilled all of her drink on her high chair they were not rude about it at all just laughed with us, they cleaned it up and got her another drink
(5)
Karla F.
Mom and I recently discovered that we do not have to drive all the way to Burbank for Bob's Big Boy. Thanks to Groupon, we did discover there was a location in Downey and were so pleasantly surprised by the wonderful customer service from the very beginning of when I called to ask for better directions on the phone as we were a little lost and was given great detailed directions and patience over the telephone by Jeanette (the tall pretty blond manager) and she even told me to please call her back if I got lost! I mean, really??? That type of customer service coming from a fast-paced establishment? And this was on a Saturday night as well! Upon our arrival, was greeted by Matt at the door who was soooooooo accommodating to a particular booth in the section of the restaurant that had no current server available but upon me telling him that mom and I would REALLY like to see if the manager can make that happen, he happily obliged and Jeannette came over to greet us personally with Matt and made it happen! On top of that, Jeannette elected to have Francisco to serve our table. Let me tell you something, mom and I were starving and he was very quick with the service (despite having other tables attending to), and always showed up with a smile, checked in on Mom and I, as well as Jeanette taking time out to make sure mom and I were good, and couldn't have asked for a more fantastic experience. Plus, Francisco is not just waiting there, but he is putting himself through a higher academic school and working a job night and day to pull this off to become an engineer!! Really smart and well-educated young man and when Jeanette told us that night was his first time (or he recently just started), we were shocked because he knew the menu so well and was such a professional! Oh yes, the food, absolutely scrumptious, the original Bob's Big Boy sauce was perfect, and the salads with our burgers were ice crisp, and Francisco even brought their famous blue cheese dressing on the side with our salads without even us gals telling him! Talk about further excellent customer service, I guess our waiter is already in tuned that most women want to try and maintain their figure! Please check out this location and ask for Jeanette and get Francisco to wait on your table and be sure and say hi to Matt if he is working the door that night and he will do his best to accommodate you! :)
(5)
Julie F.
This restaurant was used in the Mad Men episode, "Tomorrowland. " Don is impressed with Megan for how she handles Sally spilled milkshake. Season 4 finale.
(4)
Zulema O.
This is my first visit in 2 years. Can't believe I haven't been around. Although the condition of some of the seats are worned out, I still enjoy the place. Food always tasted good here. It can be pretty pricey though. Interior has faded and have worn out. Doesnt hwlp that the seats are white either :-/. I would definetely return...when iHop is full.
(4)
Lily V.
I used to come to Johnny's Broiler with my family every weekend when I was a little girl, and now as an adult I still love to come here as Bob's Big Boy. The food is delicious, and the staff is very friendly. My only requests are to play more oldies, and crank up the AC! Love the nostalgia.
(5)
Rudy R.
Enjoyed dinner with my kids here. My daughter really liked her Chicken Sandwich with Teriyaki sauce and fries, and my son enjoyed his Bacon Cheeseburger with fries. I had a Super Big Boy Burger with Onion Rings and side salad. Only thing I'd change is to have that side salad in a deep bowl instead of a dish. Kayleigh was all smiles and quite a pleasant waitress. Overall good service and good food.
(4)
Danielle S.
I love this place! Good food. Good service! I'll be back! I haven't received good service like this in a long time! They served me my food really fast too!
(5)
Kristina O.
I've been to this location at least 5 times thus far, and I love it! The waiters and waitresses are completely nice and helpful. The food is amazing and comforting, and I rather enjoy the atmosphere as well. The huge picture of Austin Powers in the back is pretty cool. I've had the original double deck cheeseburger with bbq sauce and bacon, the bbq jack, and the big blue cheese, and they've all impressed me. Burgers are perfectly cooked, juicy, and flavorful. Their fries are tasty too, just be sure to ask for some seasoning salt to sprinkle on to them. They give the fries a more savory flavor dimension. If you feel like going all out, definitely get the pastrami fries. You could probably make a meal out of them alone. Their desserts are great too. They just unleashed a line of mini desserts, so that really helps after you've eaten a gigantic cheeseburger and your boyfriend doesn't want to split a big dessert with you... or maybe that's just me. I always eat here when I come to Downey to go to Dark Realm Records, and I think this is a tradition that will continue for years.
(5)
Lina F.
Been here a couple times and it's overrated. The drive thru takes forever, and when I eat inside it takes long too. Overall it's just an average place, I like it before when it was Johnny's the food was better.
(3)
Wendie R.
good food, good service, great old school atmosphere!!
(4)
Sam N.
A cool 50s type diner with a bunch of Downey regulars. They have a decent cheeseburger and some good shakes. I do like to support mom and pop establishments, but this place was just ok. It did nothing amazingly spectacular, but it was pretty good. Overall an A ok burger for a mom and pop joint in Downey
(3)
Tom M.
I have to raise my rating. The owner of the business was kind enough and concerned about my review that he contacted me. Not many business owners care enough about their customers and quality of their product. But he does.
(4)
Rosie S.
a staple of my childhood i am a sucker for old fashion things i love that this restaurant was in cant hardly wait that they filmed in this location just for the restaurant scenes its got good quality excellence
(5)
Nesha B.
I love this place I was soooo happy when I mived cities and found one close by less than 10mins. The service herenis excellent as well as the food ive come different times morning and night the wait it close to no wait I wish they were 24hrs kike the original one but this will do for now. I also like how I get the same server and he knows my order its refreshing that they pay attention to their customers
(4)
Bobbie M.
I ordered the Big Boy hamburger combo. There was no flavor or seasoning in the meat. The two stars are for the strawberry shake that was very good.
(2)
Art E.
Awesome burgers and fries. Just don't order the eggs Benedict, the holinday day sauce tastes terrible.
(4)
Karina O.
Today I came in with my brother and my sister. We were here for a late dinner and most of the food was gone but the manager personally came and told us and help us choose what else we could get. I will come back again for their great customer service and welcoming staff. Plus the food was delicious.
(5)
Lisbeth C.
We came here for brunch. Thinking of trying something new. I order a kids cheeseburger, and I asked for vegetables to be add it to the cheeseburger, they charge $0.75 for the tomatoes! I order the California Eggs Benedict's, it was not worth the price, it was way to many grease in it. The Coffee was good and the service Anna is great!
(2)
Michael G.
I started going here when I was younger and it was Johnies/Harveys. It was a cruise hang out and there were car shows and drive in service. I don't remember the food much back then but now I'm hooked on the Big Boy combo. There are lots of Bob's that come and go and you order the Big Boy off the menu and get the California version which is good. I was brought up in Detroit and they made it different. At this Big Boy you can order Michigan style and it tastes just like the Elias Bros. version. I've been here several times lately and it's now one of my favorite lunch spots. my wife loves the waffles so we can go together for early brunch. There are classic cars on Wednesday nights and other events throughout the week. This place has the feel of an old school drive in even though its no longer a drive in. The service is excellent and the servers are all nice people.
(4)
Brittany B.
This is the site of the old Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler, and Bob's has done a nice job bringing the place to its former glory. The staff is super-friendly and really worked together to get our food out quickly. I had the Pappy Parker's Fried Chicken: two-piece meal with soup and two sides for $7.99, not a bad deal! My mom didn't like the cheese on her salad, and the waitress took it back for a new one with no cheese, and no drama. Very cool. Otherwise, standard yummy Bob's fare here: chili spaghetti, chili size, grilled cheese, burger, turkey meal. Love that I can get a vanilla malt! I don't really frequent Downey, but I'd return if I was in the area again.
(4)
Matthew V.
The Downey Bob's Big Boy Broiler location takes me back to my childhood. Back in the day, depending on which restaurant you were at, you had different sauce options for the burgers. At the Downey location, they offer most of them. The red relish is one of my favorites. The interior design is old school, and I'm glad they considered that when they rebuilt the restaurant a few years ago. I still need to do the car hop one night in my convertible.
(4)
Paula B.
This restaurant is great except its always busy and even when it is not busy, they always seem under staffed. Nonetheless the customer service is great, well at least they really try and the food is good too.
(4)
Stacey R.
I have been here about 3x already and each time I have gone the service has been TERRIBLE. The bus boy was more attentive and nicer than the waiters/waitresses. The manager was horrible! she was incredibly rude and was on a personal call while behind the register when we were paying. Not very professional! The food is Okay, and the shakes are good, but they definitely need new management and waiters/waitresses that offer better customer service.
(2)
Richard M.
Yes yes, I visited when it was Johnny's and it was retro cool. I mean originally retro cool. I used to take my 63 triumph tr-4 and sit at the car hop. Tray attached to window, face stuffed all with an eyeful of skirt. Had lunch today and it was regular good for a Bob's Big Boy. I wouldn't usually eat at Bob's for reasons which are still unclear to me. But then again, clowns and drag queens, freak me out too. This place makes it all worthwhile. The Big Boy burger was good. The onion rings were pre machine made ok. The root beer refreshing. The service was spot on and the ambiance, ahhh the ambiance is where it really is isn't it. . . . . Please visit this place before someone try's to demolish it again!
(4)
Joseph B.
Great Breakfasts. Always hot, fresh, fantastic buttermilk pancakes. Mom likes their waffles. Service has always been 5 stars. This is the cleanest Bob's Big Boy in Socal. Their bathrooms smell and look like surgical operating rooms.
(5)
Lex R.
cute place! friendly environment! waitress was a total sweetheart! veggie burger is to die for! will defiantly be back :)
(5)
Lexi R.
its a 5 star rating but yelp will filter out. Jorge, Brenda, Moises, and Diana are an amazing staff! they remember our orders from every week and make us feel like family. I love going there every Monday night for JDM night (Japanese Domestic Motors night). They even have a Monday night special for $6.99!! Double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink! wow! I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!
(4)
Francisco B.
Their breakfast deal is awesome. Good customer service, there wasn't a lot of ppl when I was there. I recommend the breakfast deal.
(4)
Jeanette H.
Like coming here for their breakfasts, nothing exciting but it's good and inexpensive. Actually the last time we went we got absolutely bad service. It was not the waitress's fault, it was the owners who booked a giant party during peak breakfast time so they weren't able to assist us. We even got free burger meal vouchers to come back because of this. I won't let this bad time sour me, I do plan on returning since I've been here before with no issues. They make a good pancake...so I gotta come back LOL. They also offer free milkshakes with Yelp Check-in!
(3)
Heather W.
I was so excited to find a Bob's in Downey. I had grown up with the one on Santa Monica Boulevard that had closed many years ago on the Westside. I took my assistant there for lunch today. The Reuben was fantastic, ditto the onion rings (though my digestive system is still dearly paying for it--not so used to grease anymore--but worth it all the same). Janette, our waitress was fantastic, so warm and attentive. A+++++
(5)
Amber A.
Ive been to bobs before but this specific visit i am so upset with, i really wont be returning to this locatiom ever again. We ordered through the drive through and understand that it was so busy because it is friday night roughly pm. HOWEVER this does not excuse the professionalism of the staff and the various mistakes we corrected. Upon leaving one staff, a girl, even said "sorry we're so unorganized here" and laughed. We're not laughing. At all. We ordered via phone for pickup amd the guy just answered "hello" on the phone....not thank you for calling big boys or anything. The music was blaring and after repeating my first order item three times, the guy on the phone finally had to put me on hold to turn down the music. We ordered the country chicken salad, the bbq cheeseburger w/ pastrami and a shake. You would think with such a small order one could get it right, think again. All the prices were wrong and we asked about them. The two staff girls and a manager im guessing changed the price on our receipt 3 times because of the price discrepancy from the menu we were given and the ACTUAL charge. The price difference was anywhere between 70cents to $2.00. We may sound like tightwads, but its specifically annoying when you're just trying to order a meal and everything is so unorganized and the prices are obviously different from All the menus. There is a standalone drive thru menu outside as well as a dine in menu as well as an online menu and a drivethru pamphlet menu which is the one we were given by the staff. With the time wasted at this place, the inconsiderate service, the blatant disconcern for our time and getting our total wrong three times, not to mention the absence of the ciabatta bread that was supposed to come with my salad but obviously was forgotten about, i wish i could rate this place a zero star. Service is everything.
(1)
Andrew G.
Pulling in I see a VW Microbus and a late 50's early 60's Bug, one of the older ones with the glass in front of the front lights... This was 1:00PM on a Friday. I'm in love with this place already and wonder what they have on Friday and Saturday nights with American iron. I ordered the best Cheeseburger (or something like that) onion rings, Strawberry shake, with a glass of water to wash it all down... I can feel the calorie excess surging in my veins and will need to really work it off. But man was it good. The onion rings were battered with a thick batter that was nice and crispy with little flakes on the edges, the burger was really good too, I'd stop short of greatest, but really good. The Strawberry shake was incredible, just incredible.. okay it's been sometime since I've had a shake like that, I don't order shakes that often, but yawsa. Leaving I noticed the two Volkswagons were still in the parking lot and I wondered if they were props... but I didn't really care, cuase if were a Friday night and my wife asked where I wanted to go to go for dinner? I'd say Hon, let's take the old Vette to Bob's, I want to park next to an old bug and talk about how to improve horse power over a strawberry shake.
(4)
Anytime A.
food is banging good and if you sleep on this little sweet joint your koo-koo. trust me its everything that should be in the diner experience!
(5)
Dr K.
The banana split hot fudge cake is the bomb. Service is slow. Most of the food is meh. Nothing special. Went cause of groupon half cost for 16 bucks.
(2)
Beto A.
I went there with a party of about 10. There weren't many people there and we were seated fairly quickly. I take it the place is newly remodeled and looks great. Don't bother putting money in the jukebox, you can hardly hear it. What a shame. I love jukeboxes. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with fries. It came burnt. SInce it was a big party, i really didnt want to send it back because it might take forever to receive my replacement and everyone would finish before me. Three bites in and I couldn't chew anymore. I returned it and asked for a new burger. It finally came about 10 minutes later and I was right, everyone else pretty much finished their meal by the time I received mine. My second burger was below par and wasn't worth half the price I paid. First time at Bob's Big Boy and it might be my last. With so many great burger joints in the L.A. area, I don't see why I would give it another shot. Another guest sitting in front of me hardly touched his veggies. When asked why, he said they weren't well cooked -- half warm, half cold. Not good for a first impression. Update 3/2/10: I raised the rating to 2 stars. Although I did not like my food, the restaurant was clean and roomie. It has a nice feel to it and the drive up parking spots to order and eat are a great touch you no longer see.
(2)
Hector J.
I came here last Saturday night around eight with my mother, apparently they have a car gathering here every Wednesday and Saturday from 5-10. Unfortunately we arrived a little late and were only to view about 10-15 cars. It was really cool, I would love to come back another day and see the whole lot full of old hot rods. :) Now back to the food and service. Our waitress, I forgot her name, was fantastic! She had a terrific attitude and attended to us graciously. I ordered a Triple Decker Turkey Club and onion rings, the food was good. Nothing really special about it, but it has a wonderful environment.
(4)
Christopher D.
So in 2001 the Johnie Broiler closed and yeah it was really sad since it was a Downey institution and had been in a bunch of commercials and movies, etc. (my favorites being the Bob Dylan music video "Things Have Changed" and the movie "Can't Hardly Wait") but let's be real here; the food wasn't that great. The same thing applies to the new Bob's Big Boy Broiler. My burger was way overcooked and I like my burgers well done. The french fries were ok but not memorable. Overall I would say that unless they step up their game they're going to experience a HUGE drop-off in buisiness once the novelty factor wears thin. Frisco Burger did it better with their cool 1950's via the 1980's vibe and the food was awesome. The service was ok, our waitress checked up on us perhaps a little too frequently and i felt a little rushed. There's a jukebox full of old e.p.s at the front, but the music was barely audible. Go once if you must.. I'm just dissapointed.
(1)
Tyson L.
Finally got a chance to go. As my friend puts it "You pay a little extra for the atmosphere" and not much else. Their "famous double deck burger" was just fine. Relish and ketchup on a stack of bread and cheese. The Country Sliders looked great tho. The atmosphere really is nice. Nice clean white leather booths (I wonder how theyll look in a few years...) Lots of nostalgia inside, and cool T shirts and Big Boy memorabilia for sale. Classic hot rods parked outside. But I may concede that you might as well go to Norms for better service for regular diner food. I'd still want to take other ppl here just cuz of the mystique of a spinning Big Boy statue up top...
(3)
Phyliss L.
The best early dinner ever good service , cannot wait to try car hop service. Try nostalgia on for size you will love it.
(5)
Brian C.
Ok.. I know what you are thinking, it's just a Bob's Big Boy. And when it comes to the food, you are right. It's the basic american fare that made bob's famous. It's good food (not great) at good prices (not great). But the real reason to go to this place is the great atmosphere and the history. The building has been here since the late 40's and early 50's and is an amazing piece of classic american diner architecture. And they even have car hop service on weekend evenings. So if you want a great burger, I would say go to Ruby's or Red Robin, but if you want a good burger and want to experience a classic American diner or car hop, go to Bob's Big Boy Broiler in Downey.
(3)
Kelly K.
OHH I finally went to this BOB Big boy Doweny store because every restaurant except this one is crowded my mom suggest it we went there it wasn't that bad for Mother day it really good then all classic car owner came in my dad was impress I think best breakfast so far over there is blockbuster where you get bacon Saurage of ham with two biscuit and gravy, toast or pancake which it is good Best customer service especially on Mother day
(5)
Yaboy V.
Clean, great service and good food!
(4)
Andrew V.
Fun place, always have something going on in their parking lot!
(4)
Hector J.
So they finally reopen this place. Used to visit when it was Johnny's broiler and it was a nice little dive place, now it seems like it's trying to appeal to car culture people again. You'll probably see those poseur motorcycle crews hanging here on the weekends. Decor is nice. It's sort of a modernized googie sort of aesthetic. Everything clean and polished. Makes you think of the fins on those old 50's convertible cars. Friend had the signature double-patty whatever burger. It was sort of tasteless. I had the turkey and bacon sammich and it was pretty damned good. Overall I think the food is acceptable, but nothing more. Atmosphere is nice but a bit TOO polished. Wait a couple of years till it gets a good layer of grease on the walls and it'll be a hell'ofa place to eat.
(2)
Maria D.
I was in South Central and wanted to try a Mexican Spot. As we were headed there my dad started complaining, saying that he's tried the restaurant we were heading to and it wasn't that great. "OK dad, where would you like to go?" "How about Big Boy's?" Since I can remember, my dad has had a thing for Big Boy's. As kids, my siblings and I we're gifted Big Boys bobble heads and Big Boy's banks. So I was down, since I didnt remember ever actually going to Big Boy's, I just remember the stuff. The place looked awesome! The music: a lot of fun. The food: meh. I would have preferred a burger from Hawkins, but whatever. I had a lot of fun with the familia, and this place is a lot more kid friendly then Hawkins haha. If I went back I'd try something different. But I'd only go back if my dad came with us. For me, I cant imagine one without the other.
(2)
Karen J.
This place was awesome! Great food, very good service, and super clean, plus you get a free milkshake when you check in. And i'm def. going back to try their all you can eat breakfast buffet. (:
(5)
Elizabeth P.
I had to ask for everything, napkins, coffee, sugar. It sucked. I won't be going there again.
(1)
Chelsy W.
How can I scream the loudest on the internet??? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAÂAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA love love love love Thank you for making my life complete : ))))))))))))
(5)
Arce E.
Really good service,and the breakfast is great!
(4)
Luis M.
It's great that the folks at Bob's Big Boy decided to bring life back into this Downey landmark. Cool decor, some of the booths feel like suede leather, car hop; the place is beyond cool. They even payed homage to the old Johnny's by refurbishing the sign and installing it in the lot. Now the food. Hey, it's Big Boy the food is just ok, nothing to write home about and priced a little high. Nothing much more to add there. The service, the day I went was absolutely spectacular (I saw that fellow yelpers really had a hard time here). We had the best waitress the place has to offer. A young Latina woman in her late 20's, curly hair, great smile. She was pleasant, happy to be there, took pride in her work and not once interrupted me and my GF's meal. Her timing was impeccable. Made all the difference.
(3)
Reeg F.
Great place to come and chill with your friends and bring your classic cars,
(4)
Roxy A.
Really cute original style decor, clean, classic music, good food w/ big portions, free milkshake with 'check in' on Yelp mobile, clean, friendly staff and sitting across the handsomest man in the place..what more could you ask for? Lovely ,take you back in time, place. FYI they even have a veggie burger and tons of chicken options. My daughter loved the chili spaghetti.
(5)
Ric J.
Nice redesigned restaurant. Service B-, Prices C+ Food C+.
(3)
Ocra G.
This is the one place i haven't reviewed and have been to three times now. If I could go back to write a review i'd say the first time that this place was spot on. Great service. friendly people, everyone was hustling to make sure everything was where it should be and how it should be done. I'd even go as far to say the food was beyond amazing is was superb. Take two was a good experience but would hit a three on my rating. Less attentive people... even those who were the same staff, from what I could remember. Take three, this evening, was bad. No one even gave me the chance to say it wasn't good. No one person before or during my meal said hello. People were moving but I don't remember what they were doing... nothing... Not fair. Well they were making tickets but they didn't all move the orders out. Just creating. One waitress was holding down one half the restaurant and the bar... which means slow service, if any at all. She kept denying help from the floor manager. Glad he asked. She should have taken it, it doesn't make her look bad, just helps the service. I love to see team work, it's nice. She shouldn't complain to people on the floor or customers about not needing his help. It bothers me. The food was ok. Good fries, I didn't season them to just taste them, they are good. The Big Cheese and bacon burger was good, the burger was seasoned. I don't know if you have to ask for mayo or some sort of sauce but i didn't have any on my burger, so it was drying eating it. Another thing that is bothering is having to assemble your burger. After i set it up it looked picture perfect, but not when it came to me. I didn't get the cheese I asked for because she was rushing. Root Beer floats with Mug root beer is not good. A good root beer, A &W. My float just didn't have much to it, Mug is flat-ish maybe it was just mine, but I know A&W has the best carbonation and sweetness. Check out was the only time some one was friendly to me. Even the two managers on the floor saw me and never once acknowledged me. Made me miss the food truck. I might go back, but from the time they opened to now, they lost something. Maybe I should stick to the one in Burbank.
(2)
Eric O.
5 stars for restoration and ambiance. 3.5 stars for food. & 3.5 stars for service, which is hit & miss. A few rude ladies & a few good experiences. 4 stars for wait time. Overall a good family experience especially for nighttime icecream Sundays! Very good diner experience.
(4)
Zhaunn J.
I've eaten here with my family several times since they've opened over a year ago and each time has been just as solid as the first. The service here is generally pretty attentive and fast. The atmosphere is pretty retro 50's diner feeling. They have pretty good diner fare for a burger place. I don't care too much for the red relish that they put on their big boy burger but it's pretty good with 1000 island instead. They have really good pastrami at this place and the pastrami french fries they have are probably my favorite thing to get there. I haven't tried breakfast at this place yet but they have a big sign in front that says they have an all you can eat buffet for breakfast every day so that's probably something i'll try soon. It's good to see bobs big boy coming back to california
(5)
Ryan H.
Really solid dining expierence here recently. Love the decor, the layout, etc. Lots of historic pictures on the wall, etc. Service was ourstanding and food was delicious and served piping hot. No compliants, a solid five out of five stars.
(5)
Susana A.
Was excited to finally go to Bob's to check out the restoration and a classic burger. The place is beautiful however I must say I was not impressed by the food or the service. I will go back however just to check out the classic cars in the future.
(3)
Daniel B.
historical landmark in Downey. it's cool. you get a bunch of car club guys rolling in and standing outside.
(5)
Max P.
this place looks cool. i had fun. if you like this place check out park avenue in staton. same playboy/lounge feel
(5)
jazmin M.
Ooh the hot fudge cakes were delightful (;
(3)
Monica F.
I heard from stories from Bob's Big Boy from family members. So when I heard there was one in Downey, I took my mother there. I was very impressed. I ordered the original double decker hamburger. The burger tasted so fresh. The patty wasn't dry it was juicy and tasted delicious. I loved the decor in the restaurant. The fries and onion rings I love, especially with their special seasoning that they have, I can't wait to come back so I can try their desserts lke the banana split or shake. It was very retro with the booths and counter chairs. The staff was friendly. I'm pleased with Bob's.
(5)
Evelyn P.
Bob's Big Boy must have been a big inspiration cuz Bob made great burgers!! So I came here to eat for the 2nd time after enjoying one of the greatest endings to an animated movie; Toy Story 3. We got seated quickly since there were a few people eating at that time. It was all going fine; we got our drinks and our order taken immediately. But from there it went down hill :/ I was a little impatient to get my food after waiting a while and almost finishing my drink. But my biggest disappointment was that once we got served we never saw our server again. I usually never ask for something when they come around for courtesy, but this time I really needed a refill (we both did!). And it wasn't like the place was packed... Once we FINALLY got his attention (because it was the only time he passed) we just asked for our check and left. So all in all it was ok since I am a very patient person but I do hope they work on that... I wouldn't want to go back and have to deal with that again :)
(3)
Vanessa J.
It was alright nothing special, Rubys is 1000 times better for burgers and shakes
(3)
Leaha P.
I am so happy they opened this place. I enjoyed it a lot. Just the feel of the car hop service is fun! My husband and I own a Ford Falcon convertible and we drove it there sometime last week. The service was great! the nice girl who came to the car made sure we had everything we needed. I needed lots of napkins but in a good way! love the messy juicy burgers! I have to say you can not compare this place to other burger places it is different. If you want a gourmet burger go pay $12 bucks at some fancy restaurant in Santa Monica. Bobs big boy broiler has good fun food to sit in your classic car and eat. Wonderful service and great place for a fun night out.
(5)
Isaak M.
Just the best..good food, good atmosphere, very few places like this left.
(4)
Mary M.
So everyone is excited about the new Bob's Big Boy. Honestly I could care less. I was a big fan of Johnny's Broiler growing up, but diners these days, especially themed diners have less and less appeal. A friend from out of town wanted to check it out, so we did. It was Sunday night, and the place was packed. We sat closer to the restrooms, and damn is it noisy! They have this super insanely high powered hand dryer that made me wonder if there was a dude with a leaf blower nearby. It was quite annoying. Our waiter looked like a clueless 16 year old, and didn't really pay much attention to us during our visit. I didn't really plan on eating since this is a place for carnivores, not us vegans. My friend had chili cheese fries, and seemed pretty stoked on them. I ended up ordering a side of french fries, only because I didn't want to sit there starring at a wall. honestly I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. Couldn't hear the music over all the loud yapping from the crowd, and the leaf blower hand dryer, food I cant eat, and crap service. I have gone back a few times, but only to meet up with a friend at the car show they have on Wednesdays in the parking lot. I never go inside unless I plan to use the restrooms. Seriously this place just makes me miss Johnny's, even though I couldn't really eat much there either. Hah! Oh and too many damn greasers! Cause you know, they don't act enough like they are in the 50's, with their 50's cars, 50's hair, 50's outfits, now they have to go to corny 50's diners too. It's 2009! Not the 50's!!! [insert lots of eye rolling here] positives +the place actually looks kinda cute negatives -servers seem like confused teenagers that have no idea what they are doing -too many damn greasers -if you are vegan or vegetarian, don't even bother -way too noisy
(1)
Kevin P.
After a nearly 3 year wait having The World Famous (former) Harvey's Broiler back is a miracle! I was there on opening day with my family and WE WERE NOT DISAPOINTED! The food is extremely good and very fresh. The servers are attentive and it seems that one can't get past the CAR HOPS with a friendly greeting! Now that is NICE! There are some people who post on here just looking for the negatives. In this day and age, we are lucky to have a place that is as cool as the Broiler with its "Starlight Polar Lounge" that calls back to the days of dining with Frankie,Joey Sammy and Dean. The entire place was recreated in the purest manner and it's run by people "who do get the whole Googie concept" To the person who parked in the West 40 and hit the head 1st. I seem to remember there only being one waterless urinal and 2 stalls for men. As for the ladies room, I was told that there are 3 stalls in there and it was so far above what used to be outside when it was Johnie's. The counter was packed with customers and heck 'Who eeven puts a counter in anymore,let alone offering up CarHop and drive thru service?" These people are dpoing fabulous and should be commended for their efforts :). Thank you for bringing back 'The Place To Be!"
(5)
Tom B.
Food is okay, service is okay, what makes this place is the retro ambience which works..it's a new restaurant though it looks like a cleaned up old Bob's.....they even have car hops to bring the food to your car if you want that 50's-60's experience. Since you have a myriad of greasy spoon burger joints to choose from in this area, you might as well go to one that has some style, which this one does have.....good malts too!
(3)
Sandie m.
I love this place especially the waitress with the red hair she's an older lady she's the sweetest good food can't go wrong!!
(5)
Jose D.
After a long wait for the Bob's Big Boy to open in Downey California, I was a little disappointed. The reason I say that is because I recently had breakfast there one morning, I had the country fried steak and eggs with a side of hotcakes. The eggs were good the hash-browns were a little overcooked and less portioned, and the hotcakes tasted like they were reheated from the oven, and the coffee wasn't that good had a weird after taste. But the decor and design of the place looks awesome I love that vintage 50s looks to the place. I hope this message goes out to them. Come on Bob' Big Boy in Downey train or change your cooks or something!!
(2)
Richard S.
Decent old fashioned American diner food. Only complaint is their prices. For the quality it's not worth the price.
(3)
Gustavo C.
From time to time I stop by here and munch on a nice burger, with fries, and a shake. Good service, good food, nice desserts, and occasionally, nice cars. Bob's burgers is alright.
(4)
Kurt C.
Next time I need to get a burger... Had country fried steak not bad but should of got a burger
(4)
Jeb G.
I honeslty didn't enjoy my food at all... I had the big boy, there famous Red relish tasted like salsa to me.ketchup would have been better. My girl had the south west burger and even with its famous guacamole it tasted plain to me. She however enjoyed her food and loved there fries. The Fries I said??? I told her they are super stale how can she enjoy them?? Turns out I was the only one with old stale fries. What a disappointment, never again.
(2)
Cynthia G.
First time here 8:30pm got drive thru. Service was good. Food was pretty quick was out of there within 5 minutes since we pulled up. Will be back!
(3)
Ernan A.
I made my own burger, I had the BBQ jalapeño cheeseburger with fries and it was amazing. I also had a vanilla shake which was good too. Great american diner environment.
(5)
Juan V.
Came to Bob's after my son's first choice of Ihop was way too long of a wait. Glad we opted for Bob's the wait was less than 10min. The service was great Jorge our server was very attentive and the food came out really fast. The food looked and tasted great. Definitely a great first impression, will be going back and would recommend.
(5)
brev b.
It's been ages since we've eaten at a Bobs Big Boy. It's the same as we remember it. The service was great! Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Too full for desert, but will definitely come for one of them. Thanks for the good eats!
(4)
Jonathan D.
Have come with a decent size party that last two times and waited almost an hour to sit while watching parties close to our size, that checked in after we did get seated first. Have had stomach issues the last two times we've eaten there. This was in our rotation to eat at. Taking it off now.
(2)
Vianka A.
I have never been to bobs or a bobs. I've heard a lot of good things, & about the classic car meets taking it back to it's good old days! Let us begin, the location great! & original. When we got out the car we smelled tasty heaven, & of course are bellies started to rumble! When we walked in it smelled so nice, clean, like a raspberry pomegranate smell. Me and my bf came in at 10 pm an hour before closing. I ordered the chicken fried steak with Mac n cheese, grilled garlic roll & ceaser salad. The salad was delicious and the sauce wasn't over powering! There was enough to share!! The CFS was amazing, each bite was tasty. There is real sausage which gave it a refreshing taste! The grilled garlic roll was delicious! Mac n cheese was mediocre. My buddy Franco ordered the kitchen sink burger which he loved and ALMOST devoured it. Our server Kayleigh was awesome and super friendly! Very upbeat & had great customer service skills! I'm a waitress too, and I'm usually not to cheery the last hr before closing lol keep it up! We both walked out extremely satisfied and we definitely will be back!! 5 stArss!!!
(5)
John M.
We walked into the Downey's Bob's Big Boy restaurant at 7447 Firestone Blvd. about 4:30 PM,June 16,2015. It had been over four years since we last ate at this place due to the poor service and food we received back then. The place was scarcely populated and it took A while before a woman behind the counter said go ahead and sit wherever you like. Wasn't sure if we were going to get a pleasant experience because the place looked understaffed and not very busy. We took booth close to the front where we can see the counter. In a short time a nice waitress named Brenda brought us menus and we ordered drinks. She brought our drinks which consisted of two ice waters and took our order. We ordered which at one time was our favored selection at Bob's many years ago when it was a top notch restaurant. This was the old kind of famous Bob's big boy combination hamburger dinner. It consists of a double deck hamburger along with french fries and salad. The salad came on a cool oval plate which turned out to be delicious even better than the original salad they used to bring you in a small plastic container. Just as we were finishing the salad Brenda brought us our hamburger and french fries on a warm plate.The french fries were piping hot in fact so hot you had to be careful to keep from burning your fingers when you pick them up. The fries were excellent made from scratch and cooked just right. Are double dick hamburgers had a warm fresh bun that tasted like it was just baked this morning. The meat patties tasted fresh and juicy. This hamburger turned out to be like the original Bob's big boy hamburgers that were famous many years ago. The total bill came to $19.60. This may seem a little expensive for two hamburger dinners but when you stop and consider the high quality of this food is well worth it. My compliments to the manager and staff of this Bob's restaurant in Downey. This hamburger dinner was better than we received at one of the original Bob's restaurants in Burbank/ Toluca Lake area on Riverside street. Four stars. John M.
(4)
Tim C.
Coming here sometimes after a great workout at the Goals soccer center is a great idea. Always loved Bob's Big Boy hamburger special. Always reminds me of a Big Mac but better. Even though it's my favorite burger when I come here, I end up ordering one of the breakfast plates. Its like the burger patties are much more greasier than the original location in Burbank. Is it the way they are cooking it? I don't know what it is but I do ask for brown gravy on the side. Lately there has been a Honda/Acura car meet on Thursdays so you might be able to get a parking spot in the car hop area. Waitresses here are pretty good when you ask for different things. I would come back here when the guys want to stop here again. Maybe because of the area, they close kind of early too. Well, 11pm is early for me.
(3)
Mario M.
We have grate food good promotion we was driving in the freeway 710 big picture. Then we found the place haha
(3)
Junior D.
this place is historical for car hopping. .plenty of movies filmed here..is a cruise spot. .lots of classic cars eat here. .vfoood here is very good also..just wish restrooms had better and more pissing spots
(4)
Mark B.
Really happy to see this place back in action. Food is good, ambiance is great Americana. I love the vintage neon signs on the building and the service is good. Never had any issues. Parking seems plentiful, but may be limited if there is an event going on, like a classic car show. They also put in a drive thru which the original structure did not. Had fun taking pictures with the kids next to the Bobs statue.
(4)
Fernando C.
First time coming here and the food was great. The best burger on the planet was really the best, for a classic burger it makes your mouth dance in flavor. And the place looks wonderful, its make you feel like your in the 1950s. Good place to eat
(5)
Mark G.
Is today closing day? Did all of the employees get a pink slip when they showed up? There were only about SEVEN patrons in the entire place when I walked in. I took a seat, and waited to be acknowledged. Took forever for my waitress to come over. Ordered a Buffalo Chicken salad. Took forever. Apparently it takes lots of time to make sure the chicken is like jerky, dump some wilted lettuce in a bowl, and slather on too much dressing and crappy buffalo sauce. Took another 10 min to get some toasted bread (which turned out to be the best part of the meal). I finished eating and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally I stacked all my dishes in a pile and stared at the employees who were bs'ing by the soda machine. I suppose they were discussing best how to apply for unemployment insurance. There is no doubt in my mind that this place is done and they are about to be let go. There is no other explanation for such horrible service and lackluster food.
(1)
Nae M.
Every time my family and I go there, they take forever to get us our food. The drinks especially, those should be priority. But they're slow and obviously understaffed. Their servers are not as friendly as they could be, I mean, be happy to have a job and make us feel welcomed. Too bad because it's a popular place.
(2)
Erica T.
First time going and everything was perfect!! Food was delicious and the service was great !!!
(5)
A. Brigitte D.
Went there late last night for the first time and it wasn't particularly busy but a fair share of tables were taken so it's definitely a good place to go that won't be busy like iHop or Denny's late at night. I was probably fairly hungry because the food tasted alright for a casual restaurant. I got the Southwest burger and it was delicious! I'd definitely recommend it. The ranch was a little watery and the chili for the chili cheese fries wasn't "substantial" but they still sufficed in the flavor department. For a diner, it was pretty standard food. However, I'm mostly writing this review for our waiter Jorge. He was extremely attentive to our needs, kept checking up on us just the right amount of times, was never impatient or troubled by our requests for miscellaneous things. What really set his service apart though was him offering things like, "would you like ranch with your fries?" and etc. without us having to ask for everything as we thought of it. I'd go back just because he was so nice! :)
(4)
Don K.
Chocolate shake and fries. It's where it all started for me. Always a good trip down memory lane. Grandmas favorite place for burgers. The big boy is still a favorite, and the only place I'll eat blue cheese dressing.
(4)
Mar G.
Three out of four meals completely screwed up on drive through service. We made so he gad our order right and reviewed it with him. We specifically reviewed with him what was to be on each item. And then . . . Guacamole burger smothered in mustard? WTF ??? And the plain hamburger with no cheese (started three times) came with cheese! And pancakes with no butter or syrup? Waste of time and money and now looking for another drive through to feed my kids.
(1)
Janet A.
Love coming here!! Good food & great service... The people here make u feel "at home"!! The one waitress goes perfect with the decor... If you've been here you'll know who I'm taking about! She's the sweetest & nicer & definitely goes beyond her "duties" actually the whole crew is awesome!! Super friendly & sweet!!
(5)
Consumer W.
Horrible service! We always get stuck with waitress Nancy. Stay away from her area!!! She's super slow, rude, and not too bright. I would personally stay away from this place altogether, but if you must go, make sure to stay AWAY from Nancy!!!
(1)
Shirley A.
Yummy Yummy Yummy. Car hangout on Wednsday nights. Big Boy with a Cherry Coke!
(5)
Lisa W.
An American classic! On vacation from AZ with the kids and wanted to grab a bite at somewhere fun and family friendly. We chose Bob's since we hadn't eaten here since we were kids. The burgers were great and the kids meals were good. Special shout out to the French fries that were awesome! The place was clean and the service was nice. The only thing missing was the classic cars that often gather there.
(5)
Josephine S.
Been living in Downey for a while now and just tried this place a couple weeks ago. No complaints here! Food was good and service was excellent. The waitress was on top of it the whole time, checked on our table plenty of times and brought refills when necessary. I'll definitely be visiting this place again.
(4)
Danny L.
4.5 - You really can not go wrong here. Good food, Good service. Good food as in, well made and consistent. I can say that out of the last 10 times I have eaten here only 2 times did the food not come as i had asked and it was fixed immediately. Good service as in, attentive and friendly. My drink glass was never empty. I even ask what they would recommend off the menu and I would receive a detailed choice. Breakfast is good. When I say good the easiest way I know how to tell is how they serve the bacon. Over cooked or under? In this case they are always spot on. Lunch. My favorite. I have come to enjoy their burgers most of all. Do yourself a favor. Order the Bigboy combo or thier Garlic Burger, go 50/50 fries/onion rings and get yourself a shake/malt. They really make them good here. I like the banana shake myself. Prices are good. Especially breakfast.
(4)
Carlos A.
After months of passing through this diner, I finally gave in and took my girlfriend to lunch. It has a great atmosphere, I felt like I was in the 1950's. The food was delicious, it was truly a very juicy and well worth burger, the desserts where even more delicious. So far my experience at Bobs big boys was great and the food is something you have to try. It is literally an all american Classic double decker.
(5)
Franky H.
I came here for breakfast on a late Sunday morning after I noticed there was a long wait for Norms, so I came here and were seated very promptly. It took like 5-7 minutes to get a server at our table until I had to flag down the manager (that explains taking away one star). Food was delicious and I loved the atmosphere. Besides the somewhat slow service, I'll definitely give them a second chance and come back here for breakfast! :D
(4)
Nathan R.
Went there for breakfast today and service was really bad. Once we were seated it took almost 20 minutes for someone to take our drink order. We told her we were ready to order food as well we were told we had to wait for our waitress to order. Only reason i gave 2stars is because the food was good.
(2)
Jorge A.
It's a decent place I like coming her for breakfast and sitting at the counter with my kids. They love it, I like it.
(3)
Mamaa M.
Love this locations vintage look and feel, l have been there on car show days, love it! The service in the drive thru is not as quick as other fast food locations, but keep in mind this is a sit down restaurant with a drive thru, amazing!
(4)
George R.
I have ordered a lot of different things off their menu and have always had a great meal. This place screams 1950s, in fact they filmed an episode of "Mad Men " here along with a lot of other movies and shows, as well as TV commercials. If you come on a Wed. night you can check out the hotrod show.
(5)
Tina-Marie L.
So you may remember this back in the day when it was Johnny's Broiler and it was in many, many movies. Now, it's a Bob's Big Boy Broiler and it still has that old school feel. I've been here a few times with friends, mainly to check out the cars outside, as they have awesome car nights. They have a HUGE parking lot. Almost way too ridiculous for the size of the restaurant. The times that I have been here, I have always had exemplary service. The only problem I have ever had is that they did not take my BBB gift card because the store that it was purchased at (Diamond Bar) was on a different "system." They will accept paper gift certificates. The menu is basically salads, sandwiches, and the burgers. While I like their Bob's Big Boy, I always ask for it without relish because, for me, it gives it this "weird" tanginess that I don't care for. Others love it but it's just not for me. They also have really awesome cookie sundaes for $3. :) It's a basic diner where most people can find something to eat. I like BBBB. The atmosphere, the food, and what can I say I also like that their restrooms are very clean. ;)
(4)
Denise F.
Gross Disgusting My cheeseburger was all red I went home with the biggest stomach ache Again Disgusting "Best cheeseburger on earth" my ass!
(1)
Bob M.
As a teen in the 1970's , we would all hop in our cars and meet at the local Bobs Big Boy in Uptown Whittier or if we wanted to fight Surfers we would go to the East Whittier location . Bobs was never known for great food, but nostalgic memories are still in my head. Yes we would unscrew the salt shakers , yes we would steal the Seasoned Salt and yes we would try to confuse the car hop. Even though it was the early 70s and life was changing, there was an innocent feeling about Bobs. After Marriott Corp bought them out it all went to hell. They closed and the only one I ever went to was the one in Burbank When the 1950s Johnnies Broiler was being torn down the City of Downey mercifully stepped in and saved the building. That brings us to today. Bobs Big Boy in Downey looks like it does great bussiness , the building was painstakingly restored but had modern upgrades. Lots of old cars, car clubs and events happening here. Service is good ,food is as lousy as ever ( come on they invented the Big Mac,) but I don't know if it's me but where are all the white folk? , I notice that 70 percent of the clientele are Latino ( slow down I qualify ) ...and young , do they even know about the 50's , Googie architecture , American Graffiti , Happy Days? Do they care? They can't be there for the food could they? Back to the parking lot...old cars , really beautiful , shiny bright , wonderful ..yet, the times I been there I feel it's a bit subversive , the Downey Police are always lurking in the street near by. ( not putting down the Police , they know this town) . Worth the visit , if you come in your restored vehicle please make sure you bring all your papers ....
(2)
Andrea C.
Chili-cheese spaghetti...'nough said! No but for reals, who doesn't love Bob's Big Boy? Their steak is delicious, their macaroni is OMG. Their chili cheese spaghetti o. Everyone is always nice and there's always an awesome car club gathering here
(4)
Steve B.
Food was not that great; for a $10 burger and fries...it actually sub-par. Onion rings were alright, fries were seasoned. The burger itself...it was Big enough but Boy let me tell you..not that great. Or you get there early enough and pay $10 for a buffet, which isn't impressive either. Service: If you keep asking for things you might get it; even with a larger party we were part of, we weren't very attended to. Items were forgotten after being ordered. The place was hot and stuffy..we had to open the back door to get some cool air in. Restrooms were clean; so that counts for something I suppose. Maybe they rely upon the mini-car shows in the parking lot for business; but I won't be visiting again. Close it back down and let it be a relic of the past or work on the food the service.
(2)
Scuba S.
Good food. Period. Shakes are amazing. Burgers are tasty. Glad they reopened this place
(4)
Katheleen Y.
Good breakfast for a good price, haven't tried anything else other than the breakfast here.
(4)
Maria B.
After much debate with the kids we came back. Our server Nancy was amazing, okay so it's not gourmet but you get a lot food for your $ buck. I do believe that the fact that it's a weekday made a significant difference. I will be happy to come back as long as it's a weekday.
(3)
Sketch67 ..
A few years back I used to pass by the empty, broken down, abandoned structure and thought "Wow, that place has potential." I love the hot rod / muscle car scene and this place looked like a perfect hang out. The place started getting demolished and it looked like the dream was over but the city came through and the dream became true. Fast forward a few years and here I am writing a review for Bob's Big Boy Broiler. I've been here more than a couple of times, sometimes for car shows, sometimes to grub and I have not been disappointed. Every time I come here to eat I've had the pleasure of having great customer service. Most recently we had a wonderful waitress whose picture is floating around in the Photos section. She was the epitome of customer service. Just friendly as shit and cool to boot. We were drinking so much coke that she said "here, keep the pitcher" which only she can pull off because of her personality. She gave us the heads up on the happy hour deals and was more than attentive even though it seemed like she had 32 other tables to serve. After our meal she made small conversation and even gave us a heads up about other great deals in other restaurants! Who does that!? This only makes me want to come back here for more. As for the food, it's not bad but it's not the greatest ever. I had the Super Big Boy but went with regular thousand island rather than their sweet relish. I just can't get used to the awkward sweet taste. It's still a lot of food and if you don't get full then grab a shake.
(4)
Don W.
First of all, whoever restored the building is a GOD!!! When I used to drive by the Broiler, I was always bummed that it looked like it would be demolished before the next time I was in the neighborhood. Much to my surprise, Bob's Big Boy not only bought the building, but saved it in a way that far exceeded any possible expectations I could have. WOW! I'm into architecture, and this was done right. Amazing. Now, to the food and service. My wife and I swung by about 1:45am, just 15 minutes before closing. You'd think we'd be rushed, but we weren't. We were treated great. My wife and I wanted to split the chili size (half-pound patty) and they did that for no charge. And, when I say split, I mean they served it in two separate bowls with separate garlic bread. Excellent service. And, the chili size? Basic, but superb. We weren't in the salad mood (the chili size comes with a salad), and the waitress substituted fries for the salad...for free, just minutes before closing. Again, this is the kind of service you want at a restaurant. Plus, our waitress looked the part, enhancing what was already a fantastic experience. I will say, the fries were disappointing (dry and skinny doesn't work for me). I'm deducting a point from Bob's for the fries, but they had earned 6-stars, so they still get a 5-star rating!
(5)
Michelle T.
It's a decent place. I always feel like their menu and food dishes are pretty average. Their burgers and chicken double decker sandwiches are pretty good. If you get their side salad, try their bleu cheese dressing, it's super good! What makes this place really good, and gave them an extra star on my rating is their brownie hot fudge sundaes! Seriously amazing! We always save room so we can eat one for dessert. Overall a good place to visit every once in a while. Not super addicting, but it's always a nice restaurant to go with the family.
(4)
Wilson T.
So I went through the drive-thru and it was a good experience. I ordered a quad burger with only two cheese without the pickles. I substitued onion rings for french fries for $0.50 more and they had CHERRY pepsi! Huge plus! The drive-thru window is somewhat small and you might drive past it if you're not paying attention! It took a little while longer than I thought but at least it was fresh. The onion rings came out piping hot and really well fried. The outside was just right. I didn't even use any ketchup because I ate them so fast. The burger was really good too. I don't know what sauce combination they use but it definitely had some mayo and ketchup, maybe a little bit of mustard. Everything was fresh and seemed really good.. The only reason for a 4 was that the meat was a little bit underwhelming, flavor wise and also that the drive-thru took almost 15 minutes. Otherwise, I would return!
(4)
Angie F.
OMG was so happy to find a bobs big boy. My fav is the chili spaghetti!!! Yummy
(5)
Ashley S.
Recently went and the service was absolutely terrible. I had to keep asking for refills and our waitress was slow to take our money to the point where I just left cash because we had to leave. We were very patient but it became ridiculous! On a better note, the food was delicious. I'd like to go back and try a milkshake.
(2)
Tiffany C.
This place is so cute I couldn't bear to give it less than 4 stars. Came to eat lunch with the co-workers. It was a hard day, and I was really craving a hamburger and fries (a craving that only comes around less than once a month). But McDonalds or Jack in the Box wasn't going to satisfy this craving. No. I needed a burger I could really sink my teeth into. Well, thanks to Bob's Big Boy Broiler, I got what I needed. Because I really do love having mushrooms in my burger, I ordered the Bleu Cheese Mushroom Burger. I wasn't disappointed. The burger was huge, I could barely take one full bite (from bun to bun). The burger was good. The bleu cheese wasn't too overpowering, and just enough mushrooms to satisfy my craving. The fries, well with a little seasoning and dipped in my favorite fry dipping sauce of ketchup and ranch, that hit the spot as well. And of course, to end our meal, we ordered our shakes to go (mine being a delicious Vanilla one of course), to take back with us to work to add some sweet to an otherwise sour day.
(4)
Joz Joz Joz W.
Nice Clean Decor: +1 star Free wifi: +1 star Great service: +1 star Great dessert: +1 star Music is nice (fits the ambiance), but is a bit loud for meetings. They let us sit in a booth (actually 2) for 4 hours while we met & worked. There's only 1 booth with an outlet and so when it opened up, they let us move over there. Open til 11 with free wifi.
(4)
Mrs. C.
Sadly I was not impressed. The service was ok...and my omlette was eeeh. Who puts pickled jalapeNos in an omelette? I was hoping everything would be fresh...I've made better omlettes at home..... The fries were good....But then again I guess it's pretty hard to mess up fries...
(2)
Haik K.
You know that feeling you get when you're driving on a road you have a million times before but this one time you decide to go along it a little further and find yourself somewhere completely different and far from what you previously assumed was further along the road. That's how I felt when I ended up at a car show here for low riders and some of your classic cars and bikes. Pretty cool show I must say. Apparently Bob's Big Boy alway hosts these kinds of shows which is what I am primarily reviewing. Went inside and the food is your usual diner food, the beers they had were PBR and Bud Light for 3 bucks a tall can. I ordered cheese sticks and just chilled. People ordered salad and burger, which was all good. This place was solid.
(3)
A C.
Customer Service: top notch Cleanliness: very clean Food: best of Bob's Big Boy Overall: wonderful! I grew up eating at other Bob's BB locations. This one is top notch. We felt welcomed, our orders were perfect. I really can't imagine bad service here unless you walked in with a poor attitude. I don't necessarily think customer service means putting up with rudeness and lack of understanding that people are not robots and therefore prone to mistakes. Bottom line, I love it here! We got a bonus being able to admire the car show vehicles as they arrived. :-)
(5)
Derek R.
Average--at best--across the board. If it didn't have its fascinating history (e.g., SoCal car culture, locations for various films) and it's unique Googie-style architecture, it's very hard to think that it would still be in business. As many have mentioned, service is a bit slack. It's not rude or inattentive, but it's not outstanding. Standard take the order/refill your drink once/give you your check activity. The legendary Bob's Big Boy burger left MUCH to be desired. With so many great burger joints in LA, its hype brings a presumption that it would have been a knockout. But, the patties were gray, greasy and thin (even with ordering the larger Super Big Boy) and nothing more than you'd get at a Denny's and the like.
(2)
Mi T.
drive thru opens at 10am the waitresses were nice the food was of very poor quality as in where is the health dept when you need them
(1)
Mike H.
Fast and attentive service, good no nonsense enjoyable food. It's exactly what you expect it to be from an LA diner. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)
Benjamin C.
Ok so maybe I had too high of an expectation for this place. I am an avid MCD's fan and have been wanting to try Bobs Big Boy (BBB) for a while seeing as how MCD's ripped off the BBB's burger. The service was slow, and I mean SLOOOOOWWWW. It was drive through....jeez! The burger was ok, not great. MCD - 1and BBB - 0. The fries had nothing on MCD. MCD - 2 BBB - 0. BBB did have an awesome pie strawberry pie though! MCD - 2 BBB - 1. The burger was ok, it was lighter and airier than MCD. The fries were a bit thick compared to MCD. I had higher expectations, but I guess theres a reason MCD's beat out BBB. You're better off going to MCD for taste and speed.
(3)
Mike P.
Great tasting food every time we go. The staff is always friendly and you can count on a great meal when you go!
(4)
david m.
So glad this place is open again, it sure does Harvey's and Johnnies justice! it's all about the Big Boy burger. Cindy is the friendliest waitress. They're all great there, but Cindy rocks.
(5)
Norma H.
The best burger in the planet is the best burger in the planet lol.... Love the retro feel and service...
(5)
Vince V.
I though Fonzi was going to come out and give me a thumbs up or Kevin from the Wonder Years may pop up and do a voice over. Maybe Buddy Holly, Richie Valens or the Big Bopper would offer me a classic burger. Sure nuff, this was indeed the way Bob's Big Boy Broiler was meant to be. As you bite into a different era, sip the decades past us before digesting your way back to the mill era. I am stupid, i picked up a choco shake for my sis but did not grab one for myself, she said it was awesome, and I need to go back to try those classic Bob's shakes. I then told her about the journey seeing all those classic cars, black n white photos on the walls, Rock-a-billy's hanging out, old fashioned uniforms, real burgers being served and landmark of Downey, California back to its roots and thankfully, not a car dealership anymore. Patty melt, I had the double patty melt instead of the burger, though I hear the burger is better. The patty melt was good, if you like classic patty melts you will probably like this one. I prefer some sourdough, bacon but this was one was palatable. fries, Some say ok some say awesome, I liked them but would prefer if they were thicker onion rings Loved them, would not change a thing. they had a nice crunch but not hard on the inside. they were thick and breaded very well, no holes or patches. chicken strips I had brought these for the house, by the end of two days I had ate them and I enjoyed them hot and cold. Though I do not reccomend eating cold chicken. RATING in the future I have to try thier chicken fried steak, breakfast and milkshakes as well as see their car nights. Then I may change my rating to a 4 or 5 star depending on the experiences.
(3)
Timmy S.
Nicely restored historic location with a great 50s vibe. My visit got off to a bad start when I pulled into a parking spot, opened the door and, thankfully, looked down before I stepped out into a huge puddle of vomit. And yes, there was corn in it. I moved to a different spot but at this point my appetite had vanished. I took a deep breath and went in anyway. A smiling waitress greeted me and I was quickly seated. A look at the menu got my tummy ready to eat again. Had a Big Cheese and Bacon Burger with fries. Good but not spectacular. Also had a chocolate shake and it was super fantastic - real ice cream and so thick. Really two shakes because they give you the metal canister with whatever they couldn't fit in your glass. I understand they have a classic car cruise night here each week but not sure what night.
(3)
Moises A.
Spent my last day off at this place. I've never been her before. Very first and last time. I hate saying this because this place is in my hometown. Whatever, though. I sat down at the bar area. My waiter was very cool and attentive. Ordered a shake, chili cheese fries and a bacon cheeseburger. Food was made in a good amount of time. Just as I was about to take a big bite from my burger I see a small circular piece of mold on my burger bun. WTF? I was livid but kept my cool. mainly because, precisely at that time the lady next to me asked," Yo, can I get a 40 sack?" Took me a second to realize she was asking for a to go paper bag for her leftovers. The part that initially bothered me was the fact that the Manager, Jim left his employee hanging to deal with me. That was his opportunity to come talk to me. Jim came out later and apologized. His response was that he was unaware of his bread deliveries containing mold. Blame whoever you want but the responsibility rests with the cooks. My bill was comped. Left my waiter a tip. Ruined my lunch.
(1)
Shane D.
Nice old schools diner ambiance, but not impressed with their food. I got their signature burger, the Big Boy, figuring if it's their most famous item it must be the best. Well if this is the best they have to offer, I won't be trying any of the others. It's not terrible, but there are dozens of better hamburger places out there. (In-N-Out & Fatburger crush this place for taste) The only cool thing is the 50's diner theme & car hop service. But you can get that at Johnny Rockets & Sonic if you really want it, and you'll probably get a better burger at both. The best thing here is the weekday all you can eat breakfast bar for $6. But again, the food on the bar is not great. So how good a deal is it really? Also, when the waitress brought the check she wanted me to sign it right then rather than dropping it off and coming back. She just stood there and waited for me. So I had to wipe the grease off my hands to sign, then keep eating. Dumb.
(2)
Wendy J.
Been craving BLT's lately and has a pretty good one from here. This location is where the classic scene from "What's Love got to do with it" was filmed. When Ike said to Tina, "Eat the cake Anna Mae....I don't want the cake Ike. and he shoved the cake in her face. Also, on the second Thursday night of each month from 6pm - 9pm, they have a Bike Night and sell PBR's for $2. Lot's of bike's!
(3)
Fern X.
When I visited this lovely restaurant a few weeks ago I got more than I bargained for! I was expecting a small little joint where you order your burger and you're good to go! Luckily my girlfriend and I were famished so in the end, it worked out. We were seated in no time and ordered their classic burger which was exceptionally delectable! One of the top five burgers I've ever had without question. They also add some sort of secret sauce that really brings the burger to life and whispers, "I'm scrumptious, aren't I?" The only setback that would have made my experience 100% fulfilling was if they had a Vanilla Coke shake but sadly I forgot to inquire... My Pulp Fiction fixation continues with discontent. So next time you're in Downey, stop by and enjoy a good burger with great atmosphere while they continuously play Elvis Presley as if he was the only singer at the time. Eyyyyyyy!
(3)
S. M.
Here they go again. My wife loves this place. They had a January deal, 2 for 1 Bob's burger combo deal Tuesday nights. Our bill price? 9 dollars and change. I was glad to tip 20 percent on the original price for that. They even allowed my wife to substitute a salad for the fries as she's diabetic. Cool, cool, cool. BTW, check out the old-fashoned gums up front. Black-jack gum, Clove gum, pretty cool. This place will probably always be a favorite. Side note, if not on the menu? Ask about the open face turkey sandwich, be prepared, amazing, and almost guaranteed to give you a long winters nap on a winter Sunday afternoon or any day for that matter. The newer booths are cool, we always have a good time.
(5)
Kim G.
Ok, I read the reviews and was ready to expect whatever I got. So here we go. Went today, and decided to take my parents. We walked in, and since it was early, it wasn't really packed. Which was good for us, since my dad hates waiting anywhere. We got seated right away. To start off the decor was really nice! So we got seated, and we given our menu's and asked for our drinks right away. So far everything was very attentive. I ordered the famous double decker burger with fries, and my parents got the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and a green salad. To start off, the burger was awesome, and fries were very good. Portions not overly given, which was good, because what I did get actually filled me up. The chicken fried steak, I can honestly say was the best I've ever tasted. Crisp on the outside, and moist (Mandy H. loves moist), on the inside. Oh, and the mashed potatoes, oh my god were they delicious. All in all, Luis our server, kept our ice tea cups filled, and us content. Would I recommend: YES.. Things to note: Car hop service is from 4pm-10pm Hrs of service, well at least closing time: Sun thru Thurs, they close at 12am, and Sat and Fri at 2am per there sign. Lastly, they have a Drive Thru!!!!! Crazy, but yet cool.
(5)
Yaya C.
The waitress was so nice & very attentive. The food was really good!
(4)
Frank D.
Great decor and props for bringing back the downey classic. had a group of 15 people with four of us having a birthday. Got us sitting down in thirty minutes. everything was great. a word of warning is that this is a bob's big boy so strolling to far from burgers & fries at your own risk came another time in a 1963 ford mustang for carhop service and had a great time. recomend the car hop service hands down for get food and service faster
(4)
Joann P.
This place sucked!!! I ordered a mushroom swiss burger it was gross it upset my stomach all day. I will NEVER eat there again. Stay away..... Over priced and disgusting food :(
(1)
Pedro D.
Salty burgers and a sarcastic manager.
(1)
Joe R.
I have been driving through Downey for years and never have been in BBBB before. Now, I wish I had stopped in sooner! The staff was great. Our server, Laurel, was vert attentive and knowledgeable without being intrusively chummy. I had the pulled pork sandwich (not soggy, delicious sauce), onion rings (REAL and very tasty), and a banana-chocolate shake. Portion sizes matched menu prices. I will be back!
(5)
Elizabeth R.
I enjoy big bobs.. especially for the breakfast can't beat the prices! However, I had a sirloin steak with shrimp and it taste "mushy". I usually get my steak medium rare and I know it can taste chewy, but this steak dissolve quickly in my mouth. I recommend this place, just try to stay away from steaks.
(3)
Sam F.
Just like the good o' days. Food is classic Bob's. Similar to Bob's Burbank with Carhop service and drive thru. Great deserts and service. These guys are on their game. Seemed like a ton of employees and my iced tea never hit bottom!!! Have the Big Boy Combo "Michigan Style" (no red sauce but with Thousand"! Can't wait to come back on Monday night with the kiddies. They have a balloon guy wandering around and seems like every time I drive by there is a hot car or ten parked out front. Thanks for Bringing back Johnny's with REAL FOOD... Bob...you got a friend in me!
(5)
Crystal R.
I love bigboys, Ive been coming since it reopened. Their decor was kept really old school, along with a good atmosphere. I usually order the blockbuster, hash brown, bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes for $6! plus there's a free milkshake upon check in! their services is always great and its always clean. Their burgers are good, I'm not a big fan of relish, and they use some redish sweet relish, i hold on that. Impressed by their chicken parmesan, filled me up and I'm usually really picky with pasta sauce. Their buffet is not very big, small little stand, seems like a waste, you probably wont get a full meal out of that. They also host all kind of car events, mostly classics. FYI, it looks like they have a drive-thru, Ive seen it but never been thru it myself.
(4)
Scott M.
Great service and food. Good ol car hop on wednesday night plus a car show on the first Saturday of the month.
(5)
Paul C.
We went through Downey & decided to stop at this Bob's for lunch. It was the first time that we have been to this location since it opened. Right off the bat our server did not get our order right as we ordered one big boy combo to eat inside and the other combo to go. She put in both orders at the same time without even waiting until we were halfway thru our shakes. What I did not like was that when I was going to ask her a question, she said sorry that our order had already been placed and could not do anything about it. OK, After that what I didn't get was that she never came back to ask me if we needed anything. As I had to ask her for more water since she never looked up from behind the counter the whole time we were there. It was just not good. So Thumbs Down!
(2)
john s.
I worked on a music video here a few Months ago and we were fed breakfast, lunch and dinner here. I was very impressed with this place. If you think the food here is bad, then you obviously haven't been to the taluca lake bobs. The food here was fresh, plentiful And not overcooked! The style of the place is perfect mid century, and the staff was very nice. This is a great place to bring large groups and old cars for the car hop service. Great job Downey Bob's!!!
(5)
Winston S.
I was here 10 years ago, when it was Johnnie's Broiler. I love old diner type restaurants and am very glad that they kept this place from being a used car lot. The service was kinda slow, but the servers are friendly. I ordered a chocolate malt and Big Boy combo. Everything was good and I even bought a book about other diners from the front counter.
(4)
Jessie F.
Good burger spot if you are in town. Double Decker original is the way to go, and the shakes here taste great too. Chocolate Peanut Butter and Strawberry Cookies and Creme are great choices for shakes here. Also if you are in for a quick desert, they got a bunch for only $1.99 each. Good to see a good Downey historical place come back after the wreckage/auto-shop days. Definitely can return.
(4)
Jermiralinestine I.
I decided to come to this place because of a billboard that we saw on the road, and when me any my hubby came here it was nice. Food was different from the other place that we eat. Normal burger and fries, and steak as well. The only difference is that there is no salt on the fries and the food was different that you could really taste it. DIfferent in a good way. Since I do have issues with my kidney my hubby told me that it was a good place for me because not much salt and the food was just natural. I also brought my parents here when it was there last day in California, and right on time it was also a bike show. My parents love the food! From the salad, burger, soup, steak and shrimp they loved it. They said it was so different from other burger places. The only problem was the service was a little slow, and maybe because of the fact there were so many people, but either than that it was good experience.
(4)
Joy T.
My first time to try this place....ordered the Strawberry Milkshake. WOW! Yummmmm! LOVED it!
(4)
Jack S.
Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler was an iconic Downey landmark since 1958. In 2007 it was partially and illegally demolished without proper permits or city clearances. The city of Downey stepped in and approached Jim Louder, a Bob's Big Boy franchise owner, about possibly taking over the remains/restoring what was left of the once famous restaurant. In 2008 Jim Louder and family decided to rebuild the restaurant as a sister location to their Torrance Bob's Big Boy on Hawthorne Blvd and PCH. Working with the city of Downey and LA MODCOM, the original 1958 Paul B. Clayton blueprints were pulled and a historic preservation architect underwent the task of creating a Bob's Big Boy Restaurant that would rival the famous Toluca Lake, the top selling location in the chain, as a franchise business. The result is a fusion of contemporary Bob's Big Boy style and the historic Downey broiler. The food is excellent and surpasses Toluca Lake for quality, cleanliness and price value. The staff is for the most part very friendly. The owner, Jim Louder, takes a very personal touch with his restaurant and is very enthusiastic about the site's history, and the structure's authentic restoration. There is a nice customer base of locals and regulars that are very entertaining. Bob's Big Boy Broiler is a very heartfelt, soulful and loving tribute to Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler. It tries to stay as true to the area's roots as possible and is a very highly polished contrast to the rough-neglected Johnie's that stood watch on Firestone blvd. for so many years. I've been to almost every Bob's Big Boy in Southern California and by far this is the best one on almost every level. They host numerous community events and an awesome vintage car night on Wednesdays. They even offer car-hop service, have a drive-thru for your convenience and numerous location specific entree specials. Good food, good prices, nice people... cool building!
(5)
Ron B.
I love this place. I have to drive a bit out of my way to get there, but it's worth it. Great architecture, neat history, super-friendly and attentive staff. Each time I go I end up stuffing myself silly because the burgers and shakes are so fantastic.
(5)
Maite P.
Great place to eat when you're depressed! :/ Delicious burgers and amazing deserts! Awesome service! Thanks Diana :)
(5)
veronica d.
I had never been to Johnnie's Broiler and had been to Bob's Big Boy once on my way back from Vegas, so when this location was to open I was excited. My husband and I went during the grand opening week and enjoyed their service. Our waitress was super nice & quick. We have been to Bob's Big Boy a few more times and the last time was mid October. We had great fast service again, our waiter had a smile plastered on him the entire time which was weird at first but it made us feel welcomed and our experience was great. I also saw the waitress from our first visit, she had a different uniform on so I'm guessing she is a manager now, I pointed it out to my husband and we both agreed she deserved it. I definitely recommend the Bob's big boy original double decker combo - I don't like relish, however I think it's delicious as their "special sauce." There's plenty of parking and the wait is not that long, usually no more than ten minutes.
(5)
Gail M.
This place is cute, so 1950's. It was my first visit: I had cute & bubbly servers. I came here w' my date and we ordered "the healthy stuff" and boy was I missing out... The table across us, did it right, they had huge burgers with tons of fries. A plate of chili cheese fries was plentiful too. I can see why this place is popular. I really do suggest coming here getting your burger & fry fix! It looked sinfully yummy! Even the hamburger bun looked delish! I ate fish taco's: yummy but the sauce on it was a little to spicy for me, eep! I shared a bowl of chili w' my date OMG I loved it! From the looks of it, the place seemed like they connect well w' the area because they participate in events w' the community like hosting car shows and fundraisers. I give it 4 stars for the huge portions, upbeat servers & mouth watering CHILI, yummay :) I will definitely come here again to try the food that everyone else ate, but only if I half it w' my date. (Doctors orders: cutting down the calories, haha!)
(4)
PrincssD R.
Love the Original Double Decker Burger (aka: Big Mac ;) I ask for it with thousand island instead of their dressing..... sooo yummy. Pair it up with a shock top and some fries and i'm in heaven! If I leave half of the burger it's only to make room for dessert! Man do they have some good stuff. Fudge sundae, Shakes, pies......
(4)
Loren W.
Stopped in after seeing the big boy on the roof. We were greeted by Janette who seated us and took our order. The food was great and Janette's service even better. Great value also.
(5)
S H.
I finally got a chance to come here last week. The service was good and quick. The food (I ordered the grilled lemon chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables) was decent. Granted most places aren't good at cooking chicken breast to not be so dry, Bob's was no different. From what I've heard, the burgers were decent. Overall, it wasn't too bad and I didn't get a chance to try everything, so I'll be back to give it a shot.
(3)
Jenna L.
The only thing I remember about Bob's Big Boy from back in the day is the huge Bob. Now that they have a location conveniently located just 25 mins away from me, I can take that trip down (foggy) memory lane. This Bob's is on the site of the famous Johnie's Broiler which served the local community from 1958-2007 when it was demolished and turned into a used car lot. Even though it's no longer Johnie's, I feel that Bob's is doing their part to pay homage to such a historical site. Bob's food is classic, all-American comfort food. We came here on father's day at the begging of my brother and had a nice family breakfast/brunch. I only wish I had ordered something other than the breakfast buffet. The buffet was sub par compared to the dishes ordered by those around me. The only real great thing was the menudo which was a suprising but warmly accepted addition to the buffet. Next time, I'm getting a burger so I can taste this chain in all their glory. I'm probably gonna try their car hop service too. Why not?!
(3)
Natalie V.
Breakfast buffet was yummy..not the best I've had, but it's my expectations weren't exactly high. My 17 year old "I live off of hot cheetos and onion rings" brother loved it! Will be coming back again!
(3)
Leslie B.
Good customer service.. Food.. not so great.. Very nostaligic place with a lot of history. Come here for shakes, desserts.. and the car shows.. Food is mediocre and overpriced.. oh.. and PABLO.. was the best dessert maker ever.. too bad. he's not there anymore..
(3)
Javier J.
I have to tip my hat to this place. They managed to bring back from the dead a Downey Classic. Many know Downey as the home of the oldest building Scottish fast food joint McDonalds, but now they'll have to add in that it's the home of the originators of what you know as the Big Mac. The classic big boy combo looks much like a Big Mac. Has the two patties and the bread between them.. But this one was a Big Boy original before that damn Ham burgler got his title by stealing the concept and idea of it and making it a Mac Tonight. This is the staple burger I get when I come to this joint. I've been getting it like that since long before I can even remember. It's really one of the only places my dad took me when I was little as a special treat. It's where I learned to love Blue Cheese dressing. For that matter, it's the first salad I actually remember not having to be bribed to eat. So this location.. focus, focus. I liked it. It used to be Harvey's, another sort of Bob's style drive up service place. That joint went out of business long ago and for as long as I can recall, whenever I drove by on Firestone, it looked like it was one stone's throw away from falling apart completely. So when they destroyed the last remains of it I was bummed, but was completely happy when I heard Bob's Big Boy was opening up there. They got that shit down perfectly. I'm sorry for my language there, I was just amazed as to how much of a trip back in time this place is without feeling like it's too gimmicky. They nailed it perfectly. It looks like you went back in time. I'm sure when it's the weekend and car service is up, it is amazing. Only bad part was we got here pretty late, after venturing into Downey a bit late the food options weren't all that great and I remembered this new location and was excited to go. It was about an hour before closing time and you can tell all the servers were about half way mentally checked out. Service was painfully slow. I had to bite down on my nostalgia of the place to really not get upset at how the servers lacked any ability. They didn't ask if my gal wanted fries/cole slaw and they brought it with fries. They remedied that by bringing the cole slaw as well. that was nice of them. Over all, it was really a matter of it beng late and the workers just not giving a fuck as to why I'm giving this a three star review. It's A-ok. The food, while it may taste great to my nostalgic sense, is pretty much average. I guess it's the memories attached to it that make it taste better. Or at least counter act the large amounts of what taste like heavy MSG flavoring in the food. If you want a trip back in time, come down to this location. You'll be amazed by the looks and you'll at least get some food, hopefully better service.
(3)
Rafael J.
The last time I was here I walked out because I didn't want to eat bugs. The manager got back to me and assured me they were working improvements. I decided to check it out again. I 'm sorry say it's not looking good. The section we were sat in wasn't too packed but a couple of tables had not been clean. The table was whipped off but I could tell if it was clean. The food was ok but not that good. This place has potential but doesn't come through.
(2)
Lily T.
I was driving to Mimi's when I came across the re-opening of the Bob's Big Boy. I was extremely excited because this place was a landmark. It was destroyed awhile back and the City was not sure they were going to rebuild this extraordinary place. I guess you can say that I'm kinda bias. I use go to Bob's Big Boy as a child and love the burgers and shakes. I have to say its the atmosphere of the place that takes you back to the 4o's or 50's. The burgers were just as I remembered and the milk shakes are to die for. There service was okay (kinda long for lunch). Its a great place to check out one. It a place that will have a little of California history =)
(3)
Carm S.
I was a big johnnies fan so this place brought back memories for me. Loved that the kept the same layout and colors in the booths in the front!! Service was pretty good, even for being new. I mean the servers forgot to bring things like dressing, and got one order wrong for our party of 7 but after we mentioned it they were very quick to bring us everything we asked for!! They still gotta iron out small kinks like that but overall not bad at all. I had the carhop and everyone in my group agreed it was the best burger at the table (cheeseburger with grilled onions, mustard) It was perfectly cooked and so juicy! This place is strictly a family joint but it was fun. Come on car show nights lots of cool cars to see and ambiance! Oh and bob came out and hung out at our table, it was hilarious!
(4)
Nadia V.
I don't understand how people that rated this place 2+ stars can even rate anything good on yelp. This place is retarded. I came here for breakfast Saturday and since i was by myself i sat at the counter. I waited for a good 7 minutes before i could get anyone's attention. The busboy looked at me and walked away, and he didn't even offer any help. I had to ask him if i could get service. The waitress finally comes over and she takes my order down. She brings my coffee over and while i am waiting for my food she comes over a min later and says; "is everything okay?'' and i respond; "yes it is :)" and she replies with; "oh yeah, you're just waiting for the food right?" i look surprised, and i wonder if she is retarded, i just reply with... "YEAHhh". Another waiter brings my waffle. I look at the plate and wonder why there's burnt waffle crumb on my plate. Half the strawberries on my waffle were old and soggy, and they put so much whipped cream on my waffle, i thought i was going to die from a heart attack. The guy waiter asked me; "is there anything else i can bring you?" and i say; "syrup please..." he looks at me surprised at my request and says; "SYRUP? you want syrup?" at this point i wanna shoot myself for ever making this food dinning mistake. There was 1 other person eating at the bar, it wasn't that busy and my server was more concerned about refilling her sugar containers than she was offering me another cup of coffee. This place is an embarrassment to the food and restaurant business. I get better service at my neighborhood McDonald's. I wondered if the entire staff all graduated from Downey High because they all seem a bit slow to me. WILL NEVER BE BACK AGAIN.
(1)
Karla G.
Great service, great food! Will definitely be back soon :)
(5)
Anna B.
WOW!! They did an amazing job building this Bob's in the ashes of the illegally demolished Johnie's Broiler! As we approached on Firestone Blvd., the giant rotating Bob on the roof beckoned with his burger held aloft. I was so excited to see this place, after months (years!?) of reading about the efforts of the L.A. Conservancy and the City of Downey to do this right. The layout is open and airy, with awesome retro rock walls and beautiful comfortable booths in olive green and cream vinyl. The light fixtures are gorgeous and give a wonderful authentic feel to the place. Things were crazy for breakfast on Saturday, a good thing! This did mean some back ups in the kitchen, so be patient if you visit now, when they are still ironing out the kinks. Service was great, with tons of refills and notifications of the delays. That's all I ask when there is a problem in the kitchen! Please don't ignore us! They have actual car hop service nightly, from 4PM to 10PM and I'd love to visit when the neon is blazing. The menu compares to other Bob's restaurants, and the prices are very reasonable. Step back in time and visit!
(4)
Frances P.
Bob's is a fun restaurant to go to that always has a social event happening from book signings to car shows. Yesterday, they had Bob's taking picture with little ones and two ornate semi's. The 50's ambiance is great! The Pappy Parker chicken is tender and juicy and we often buy it to go. Breakfasts are delicious and very affordable. I often order the Big Boy's special with hashbrowns, eggs, sausage and pancakes...guess how much? 5.99 What a deal. They have good shakes and delicious onion rings. Aside from that, their food is not that great. Their burgers are not very good nor their french fries. It's a fun place though.
(3)
Vanessa C.
I was really disappointed when I finally ate here. We had lived walking distance from this location and the patties were gi-normous compared to the buns and the taste was the pre-frozen kind-yuck. The best of the meal was the fries which I had to add seasoning to once I got home. What a bummer I was so pumped! The re-vamp is awesome though...
(2)
John M.
Great atmosphere. Go on Monday night and watch the baloon artist create some amazing things. Say hi to Joe
(5)
Rango R.
Bobs big boy burgers are flavorless. Even mcdonald burgers are better than this! And thats not saying much because everytime i ate mcdonalds i threw up. And mcdonald burgers are way cheaper and are the same as eating your own feces. Bobs big boy is expensive and for no rational reason. Based on the reviews i've read i've concluded that the only reasons given as to why this place receives more than one star is because of its historical significance, AWESOME INTERIOR(no really it is pretty cool) and nostalgia. The wait time is too long, like i was waiting for an in n out burger, SHYUH! but instead im served (again) feces.
(1)
George R.
Bob's is awesome! I don't care what some of the other posts have said, I have been there at least 20+ times and have never had a bad meal. Also if you are looking for some great deserts this is the place. Wed. night is cruise night----classic cars. Monday nights from 5-7 bring the kids. There is a balloon artist that can make anything.
(5)
Victor G.
I heard about this place, but never been to Bobs. So I went last week and I ordered the original double decker burger. the burger is good as well as the fries. I gave this place 4 stars because the service was pretty slow. I mean I asked for ranch for my fries and the waiter completely forgot to bring my ranch after he said in a min.
(4)
Jennifer P.
Atmosphere, service, and food were all excellent. Add in a few classic cars that congregated in the lot and it was a perfect evening. I highly recommend the pastrami chili cheese fries.
(4)
Guillermo V.
Went on a Wednesday night to check out Hot Rod Night, didn't know that they had car hop service like in the 50's, looks great. Got A cobb salad, was really good, service was great, plenty of parking, next time going to try hot fudge cake.
(4)
Oscar G.
Went to bob's big boy for lunch and wow, I have never had such a flavorless burger in my life. The patty was gray/ pale almost white. I've been to a few cafes and know that it should not look that way. Since I'm to cheap to throw away a meal I forced it down. I also had onion rings and what can I say. Another disapointment. Extremely greasy and the batter had no flavor. I'm glad that u can't screw up pepsi. Not sure how this place will survive because this is definitely not a come back. Oh I almost forgot. The waitress was very nice and friendly. That's y they get one star.
(1)
Luis C.
wow !!!!!!!!! a+ all the way jim the owner has done a great job and his daughter lindsey is his right hand togehter this place is like heaven food is great and every month they car show or some type of charity event of course everyone has to have the big boy combo but try the pastrami with french fries they aslo have a car hop service with girlz on roller skates so you are there talk to jim and lindsey tell them luis & elaine from mel entertainment send you
(5)
Kristen A.
I love Bob's! This was my first visit to the Broiler location & it was great. Our server Ana was efficient & friendly, you could tell she loved her job! Can't wait to try the car hop next time. If you've never had their famous Hot Fudge Cake, it is perfection!!
(5)
Christina M.
I enjoy the drive-thru. I dined in for the first time recently. Service was great. Prices were okay. My meal was a huge portion and the shakes are good. I want to come back for the car shows.
(4)
Allison C.
When I moved to Downey, I was so excited to see Bob's Big Boy of my childhood! We just went there for breakfast. It's really nice that they serve breakfast all day. We ended up getting the breakfast buffet for $8.99. It was a nice spread-- they pretty much had anything you could want. It wasn't very visually appealing, the way it was presented and I almost opted not to get it. But the food was pretty darn good. Good waffles, pancakes, french toast. One con is that the booth seats are some weird vinyl blend that are really hard to slide in on--they feel almost tacky. But we had good service and good food for a good price. A-Ok in my book.
(3)
Carol J.
Like the other yelpers, I have been excited to visit this restaurant since it opened.....i used to go to Bob's frequently as a child. We went yesterday with the kids, and we only waited a short time, which was great since the previous weekend I tried to go, but left after a long, long wait. We all ordered something simple, the kids had pancakes and eggs, my boyfriend had the Big Boy Burger and I ordered a cobb salad because I have been craving their famous Bleu Cheese dressing! Well, food took forever to arrive and once it did, they brought my salad with no dressing. So I had to ask again for it, and the guy who brought it seemed surprised..."Oh, you ordered dressing? What kind?" That already had me a little bothered, OF COURSE I WANTED DRESSING WITH MY SALAD! But I politely said "yes, I ordered Bleu Cheese please"......I was helping the kids cut their pancakes, so after he brought the dressing and I finally started to eat, I notice my salad has no avocado on it.....so I called the waitress over, asked for the avocado. She said she would bring it. Then, after a long time, I see her emerge from the kitchen, but with a tray full of drinks for a table nearby....she looks over at me.....nothing. She comes back to a table right next to ours.....nothing. So I call over a busboy that is with her at the table, ask him for the avocado, then she comes over like it just triggered her memory....."Oh yea, can you please bring them a side of avocado?" I was practically done with my salad by that time and the rest of my family were done with their meals. I mean, I ordered a cobb salad, it's not like I ordered avocado as an extra or something. I love Bob's and I won't lie, I might go back because I live nearby and the kids love this place just based on looks alone. But, service was not good....and food wasn't oustanding. Decor was nice though and it has a very clean appearance. Theres also the huge Bob Big Boy outside and the kid's love taking a picture while standing next to it.
(2)
Craig H.
Very nice experience - good service, great hamburger and fried chicken. The restaurant is quite nice inside, not so close quarters like others. The food really reminded me of my youth - very good.
(4)
Keian K.
I was very much looking forward to the reopening of Johnie's Broilers, now known as Bob's Broilers. I've been there twice since it has reopened and both visits have been awesome.. the food is very affordable and tasty. They have your basic diner foods from hamburgers, pastrami, to steak and breakfast dishes. What I did miss on the menu, which I wish was there is a tuna melt.. but I digress. I usually do not tip and I know its frowned upon but I believe automatically tipping is for suckers. I have tipped both times I've been here.. and good tips as well, because the waitresses here are awesome with their service. I might have just got lucky with the two I got which my first visit was in the afternoon and then 4 months later late at night.. .. and they both were very courteous and made sure I enjoyed my food. One went as far as to say if I didn't like something they could get something else for me, and this was when I was trying to decide what to order.. I was on the fence and the waitress offered that to me. Great place, I vouche for it and I suggest you take a trip there sometime soon.
(4)
katharine r.
If you ever thought you were a vampire, than this is your place. Breakfast starts whenever you get your blood shot eyes up. Generous portions of tasty scrambled eyes, and me the picky eater - bacon the way I want it. Extra crispy, please. Car shows rock and you can see some really weird ones, like a BMW where the front door is the front of the car. Wacky! I missed the low rider show, but I know I will drive all the way down there just to see it. Crowded and happy family fun. I like the starlight polar lounge, you could come for prom here! The counter is a beehive activity. The owner cares about cars and his place, and it shows as it is family adventure. Restorations take lots of energy, money, and stick-to-itiveness. Under some hands of caring folks through the Friends of Johnie's Broiler, L.A. Conservancy, and various car clubs made it come back to life. I hope you will celebrate success by coming to Bob's like I do - breakfast at night. Maybe you will stay there for 3 hours like i did! I love the salads, too. It is a total tough of greens and odd ball fun crunchy stuff.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
William F.
Going on a road trip from San Diego to L.A., my friends and I were starting to get hungry. So we looked around on yelp to see where we could stop at along our journey that wouldn't take us too far out of the way. Lo and Behold, Bob's Big Boy Broiler was that place! Which was great, because we were all in the mood for burgers! Well, What can I really say? It was a really great burger restaurant! I especially enjoyed the sweet potato fries that I ordered with my burger!
(4)Armando V.
The building of this Big Boy's restaurant holds a great historic sentiment to the city of Downey. It was known as Johnnies broiler and was used often for movies (Most noticeably License to Drive). After it closed down it became a car dealership (horrible) and after that floundered the owner tried to tear it down to the dismay of locals there. After a lawsuit by the city to stop the tear down it was settled that the historic location was to be restored and made into a Bob's big boy. There is plenty of parking and it does have a drive thru. They really did a wonderful job keeping the same diner setting that Johnnies had. Inside they give a great tribute of the classic restaurant with wall pictures during Johnnies hay days. This is a real classy touch by Bob's Big Boy. Now on to the food and service. I've only had their breakfasts to this point. I recent had their avocado omelet. It came with a side of hash brown and a couple of pancakes. The omelet also comes with bacon bits. Everything was descent. The service overall was solid. It wasn't packed at the time so there really was no excuse for anything less. Not sure how the place does when it's packed. Just the historic factor of this place is reason enough to come here. Growing up near the area it makes me happy to see a place dating back to my childhood restored and maintained.
(4)Krystalyna C.
I came here with my family before heading out to Universal Studios. We came during (late) brunch and thankfully they serve breakfast all day. I haven't had traditional American breakfast for a long time and this place did not disappoint! We all ordered something different and we all enjoyed it a lot. I had the omelet (the farm-something one) with hash browns and two pancakes. And WOW. Everything was so good. The omelet wasn't overly cheesy, the hash browns were crispy and the pancakes were perfectly fluffy. Just thinking about it makes me hungry for it all again. I'm glad we came here not only because the food ended up being good, but because it's a historical restaurant chain that's been featured in TV and films. I clearly remember the kid holding the burger in one of the Austin Powers film, haha. Also, our server was great. The waiting time was a little too long for our liking since we were so hungry, but it was well worth it. If you're ever in SoCal, go visit a Bob's because you won't regret it!
(5)Mike T.
Came here looking for a trip down memory lane but instead found disappointment. Got seated after a couple of minutes and we ordered Big Boys combos like we used to. Burgers were saturated in mayo and essentially tasteless. Couldn't finish them. So I guess it's true. You can't go back. I couldn't recommend coming here. Staff was friendly. No problems there.
(2)Dexter M.
We been wanting to come here since it open!!! Great food n lots of fries. Brewed ice tea excellent. We got burger n chicken sandwich. Delishesness with fast friendly service. Our waitress, Valerie was phenomenal. The portions are generous. I can't wait to return for breakfast. They gave all u can eat breakfast buffet for 9.99
(4)Yvette M.
My boyfriend and I dine in at bobs today. Food is really good but the waitress that was suppose to "help" us was in a bad mood She was rude to us from the moment we walked in her name is (JANNET) at least that's what they told us her name was. shes a tall blonde lady with blue eyes she said we had to wait because there was people in front of us and we said it was okay didn't ask us if we wanted something to drink nothing just gave us attitude. Then she walks up to another couple that just walked in sat them down and asked them if they wanted something to drink with a very nice manner. All though out our dine in she was being rude she threw us our straws at us like we didn't matter. But we didn't let it get to us because it was our first time trying this place out & it was a bad experience!!!!! So you won't be hearing from us any more.
(1)Lena H.
Not long ago my husband and I caught a show at the Downey Performing Arts Center. After the show we were starving and it was rather late so we were looking for something that stayed open into the wee hours of the night. While I searched my handy dandy Yelp app, my husband happened to mention that a Bob's Big Boy was near by. Well I'm a sucker for burgers so I was in! The diner is newer and looked very clean and modern retro. They had an old jukebox that my husband refused to let me play with, for fear that I would put on some crazy music, hey who doesn't like a good rendition of Tom Jones "What's New Pussycat" (on loop, hehehehehe). So, whether it worked or not I'll have to find out on the next visit. Speaking of music, given that it's a 50s theme diner I was expecting some music to go with the theme but instead they were playing some new age sitar soundtrack. It was nice but it felt just a wee bit out of place. As I mentioned we visited late in the night, and the diner was I would say less than 1/4 full. There were tons of empty tables and plenty of room for large groups had there been any. We sat at the counter instead of a booth (the hubby's choice). Our server took our drink order and quickly returned to take our food order. My husband order chicken fried steak and I went with a regular burger. This is where it gets a bit unsatisfactory. The place was practically empty and it took almost 30 minutes to get our food. Why it took so long is beyond me. Once our food arrived not only did it look dry it was indeed dry to the bone. Which leads me to believe that our food had been prepared in a reasonable amount of time but left to sit under the heat lamps. Still we ate what we could. As far as the taste well as I said dry it was. It's kinda hard to enjoy a burger when you have to wash down every bite with water just to make sure you don't accidentally choke on a piece. The food was plain bad. I'm hoping that they were having an off night. I'd hate to see a cool restaurant like this go under but if the food doesn't improve I can't foresee much of a future. As for service it was ok, our server was nice and tended to us, nothing to rave about but at least nothing to really complain about either. We'll try it again and hopefully the food will be better....pretty please!!! *crossing fingers*
(2)Laura O.
Most places you go to eat at you usually pass on the dessert menu and just call it a day. Well at this place, let your tummy do most of the thinking and talking for you and order a milkshake! They are delicious! Vanilla preferably but the Strawberry one is also a keeper. As the waitress or waiter brings your milkshake to you, you will notice another object near your milkshake and it happens to be the left over ice cream that they used to make the milkshake. Definitely a not-to-waste treat! Of course before ordering this little taste of heaven, go on and order some hotcakes with sausage patties or even better, the steak and eggs! Steak is made at your taste so don't be shy. Country fried steak on a Sunday morning? Yes! All this happiness is served all day! No need to speed over in your muscle cars to try and get breakfast, ( I mean you can if you wish) because it will be available.
(5)Karen A.
What a huge disappointment! I had such fond memories of going to Bob's on Whittier Blvd after high school football games in the sixties. I was hoping to capture some of that joy by ordering what I'd get then at the Downey Bob's. Sadly, they used very stale rolls and slimy lettuce for our sandwiches. What a shame!
(1)Michelle R.
I came here with Karen on a Wednesday Night. It must be Vintage Car night, as the parking lot was filled with old 50s and 60s type cars, ranging from low riders, sedans (if you can call them that), convertibles, to hot rods. Pretty cool!! Karen got her "usual" for Bob's, the chili spaghetti. I was about to order the same, but changed my mind and got the Pappy Parkers chicken. I grew up with Bob's Big Boy, and fondly remembered eating their Pappy Parker's Fried Chicken. Somehow my memory from my youth (circa 1980s) must be clouded, because the chicken was NOT how I remembered it. The chicken was piping hot, which puzzles me why it was dry. Overcooked, perhaps? The skin was not crispy, but more like cardboard. It was overly salty, yet no flavor. Our server said this was one of their signature dish. Sorry but it was barely step above Swanson's frozen dinner fried chicken. The entrée came with a soup or salad, and 2 sides. I ordered the side salad, and it was surprisingly good. It was mostly romaine lettuce, but a few spring lettuce tossed in, with lots of tomatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, croutons, topped with finely shredded cheese. I had trouble picking my 2 sides, since they were mostly carbohydrate fillers, like mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, loaded mashed potatoes, hashed brown potatoes, fries, mac n cheese, and such. They did let you get another side salad, and they had the veg of the day and fruit. I chose the Mac and the Fruit. The macaroni and cheese was ok. A decent attempt to make it home made but didn't add enough milk or butter... I couldn't figure out which. At least it didn't seem like it was from a box. The fruit was chunks of seasonal melons, grapes and berries. Sweet and pretty decent as well. Karen inhaled her chili spaghetti, and I got a bite of her meal. Yup, comfort food at its best at a greasy diner. Overall a decent meal. I've had better fried chicken elsewhere, but it was a chance to revisit my youth. It also didn't hurt that I had a $15 groupon (paid $7) so the balance of our check came to $3.25. Not bad!
(4)Richard M.
Drove in from Palm Springs area for a Sunday night car show. Treated myself to a Big Boy and fries. Brought back good memories of how good Bob's was back in the 60's. Nice to be served by a professional waitress. Places like this are 'crown jewels' for in the sea of endless 'MacFranchies' of today. Took home spaghetti and chili for my wife.
(5)Jay S.
I grew up eating at Bobs Big Boy. I've had a lot of fond memories going there and seeing the big Bob standing out front. The food was always delicious, growing up. Throughout the years, I've noticed that the restaurant chain has downsized like many other restaurants. I was excited when I came across this Bobs. Unfortunately, my last visit there wasn't a good one. I ordered fried chicken breast with mashed potatoes. This was the first time I've ordered that. The mashed potatoes were not bad, but I can't say the same for the chicken breast (See attached pictures). After a few bites of eating the chicken, I noticed that it had a funny taste. I looked down at my "fried" chicken breast and noticed that the chicken was completely raw on the inside. I returned the chicken and they replaced it with a new one. The second chicken breast I got was cooked throughly but my appetite was gone. The next morning, I woke up feeling nauseated and not feeling to good. I haven't gone to the doctors yet but planning on going tonight if I don't feel better. The people who work there are very nice and were quick to apologize about the food, so I give them two stars. As for the experience and food, I give no stars. Stomach aches, cramps and nausea have ruined my taste for Bobs Big Boy and I will not be returning.
(2)Johnny V.
First Time Coming Here And I Gotta Say It Was Pretty Good. Came Here Just For A Burger Plain And Simple Not To Try Out Anything Else On The Menu. Order The Super BigBoy Double Deck Burger, I Was Quite Hungry And It Did Fill Me Up Substantially. Service Is Pretty Fast Took About 15Minutes For My Order Too Come Out Could Be Better But That's Not A Problem. Oh Just Don't Expect The Burger Patty To be Thick and Juicy It Resembles the Patties You Can Find In A Big Mac. Defiantly Returning Here To Dine.
(5)Ozzie P.
It's 11:06pm and in n outs lobby was closed but you know who wasn't ... Bobs!!! Came in grabbed a Modelo a coke and some Bomb ass burgers! They are so good that they call them the best in the WORLD!
(5)Angel C.
I've been here three times now. My first experience was great, came with my mom for breakfast. The service was on point, she was very attentive with us and her other tables. The inside is very loud, but nice looking, and there's plenty of room for several parties. The food was delicious, some of the best diner food I've had. I ordered Banana Caramel pancakes (I think?) with some bacon and eggs. The pancakes were thinner than I'm used to, but were so soft and delicious I couldn't find a problem with it while I stuffed my mouth. This prompted another visit for me. Second experience was just okay. This time came in a large group with other family members, a little over ten of us. The server seemed either new and nervous or just having an off day. He forgot a few of our orders, actually mistook an order, and kept forgetting the items we'd ask for (napkins, forks, cream, sugar).The food was good, though. This time I had a chili omelette -I wanted to try their 'signature' food, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I wasn't too impressed, but it was good nonetheless. Thought I'd give them another shot, so I came with four people; brothers, sister and mother. Service was sub par again - this server kept making little mistakes here and there. Things like picking up forks off the ground and putting them back on the table, thumbs on plates he was serving, forgetting certain items we'd ask for, and last, but not least what turned me off most to this place; he reached across the table from where I was and I was able to smell the odor emitting from his underarm. Yeah. Probably won't see this place for a while, or maybe ever.
(2)Crystal A.
This place is horrible and service Sucks ! I got the fried chicken it had no flavor and to top it off it was raw !! Never again will I go back
(1)Cris A.
Great American breakfast !people always friendly along with great food they host car show here on wed and some Sunday's if u stop by make sure try their shakes it's a must
(5)Jason B.
Solid breakfast at this place. It has that classic diner look and feel. If you are looking for good food and that 1950's vibe come check out this place!
(5)Jenni M.
I have to credit my hubby just a little bit for making my most recent experience (4/7/14) at Bob's Big Boy a nice one. How many people cruise up in a loud, rumbling '59 Chevy to a '50s inspired diner? Not many when we went at around 7:30 p.m. In fact, I saw no other classic cars much less any REAL muscle cars. They all must have been on standby since the final NCAA game was near the end. UConn vs Kentucky. Who'd you pick? Neither!!! So, service has always been just a little on the slow side each time we have been there together. It wasn't too bad tonight, though. Our waitress was very sweet and dressed the part of the 50s diner waitress well. She even brought out some chopped up bananas for our baby. Thank you, Diana (Jorge, too, since he took over during her break)! I highly recommend that you order a shake. My husband prefers peanut butter. But I really like the caramel butter pecan. It was a yummy treat, and of course, I finished it instead of the salad I ordered. The salad was huge. I ordered what I think was called the fiesta chicken salad. You may get it with your choice of salad dressing, but I ordered Ranch. It was a fresh, tasty salad. If you're not up for a typical burger, then this is a good healthy choice. Thank you, also, Diana, for letting my husband order the drive-thru special (1/4 cheeseburger w/fries for I think $5.99). It's a neat historical diner to visit if you're in the area. You may not fall in love with the food there, but again I recommend a shake. They have several different flavors. Sit at one of the barstools & just have dessert & coffee. Friendly service. Mostly clean restaurant. Not too busy of a place each time we've went, but it's usually on a week night. Nostalgic 50s diner - not that I wouldn't know anything about that era. But, there are some really nice leather booths in the back. And the TV is constant with the ESPN news. Review #228
(4)Joanna F.
After getting our oil changed across the street today, My Daughter ,Granddaughter (age4) and myself decided to go have lunch here. After waiting 15 minutes to be seated. We finally get seated and wait an.additional 15 to 20 minutes for a waiter or waitress to even take our.drink orders,after flagging someone.down we FINALLY get our orders taken and wait and wait . Finally our food arrives and to our disgust and horror my Granddaughters Bacon Cheeseburger has mold on the bun. I immediately call over our waitress and.show her and she is equally disgusted and apologetic and says she will send the manager right over. She does and his name was Moises, He says I am so sorry, what can I do? I need to contact my bakery because the whole tray of buns was moldy! Not my problem! If you knew that then why would you send it out? He had no answer for me! I told him that was Unacceptable and I was not going to pay for that. He asked if we wanted something else off the menu because it was just the kids buns that were moldy, Seriously? You intended on serving moldy buns to kids hoping no one would notice? My Granddaughter was hungry and REALLY wanted a burger, so we apprenhensively ordered a regular sized burger for her in its place. After this we are all just not hungry. My daughter used the restroom and was horrified at how disgusting and dirty it was . We will never come back here again and the health department seriously needs to shut this place down. MOISES was also.very rude ! I told him he needed to Comp our meal and he said "You ate it didn't you"? I replied "Some of it" , but we didnt enjoy it! He very rudely then said Let me.take it away then. He very angrily & rudely took our food and then got in my 4 year old granddaughter s face and said "You want to keep this or you want me to take it away? She was scared and confused. How dare he! As he took our awful.meal away, we got up.and our waitress continued to apologize. I slipped her $5 and we left. I think Moises was expecting us to pay for almost poisoning my Granddaughter! I will NEVER.GO THERE AGAIN AND I AM REPORTING THEM TO THE.HEALTH DEPARTMENT.I'M ALSO REPORTING.MOISES TO THE CORPORATE.OFFICE for intimidating and screaming in my granddaughter's face.! 3 hours.later and I feel like I want to vomit!! I hope its not food.poisoning!
(1)Daniel S.
Great double decker hamburger, fries and great service! I had the Deluxe double decker with bigger patties and couldn't finish the fries! The buffet bar looks really good too and very clean...next time I'll try the buffet bar. Angie was the best waitress and REALLY cute too with pretty eyes and cute dimples! She took the time to chat with me about how the owner renovated the place and gave me a little history lesson about the place too. Only thing missing was the little juke box selector at the table!
(4)Brian B.
A classic & much like many of the cars that Show up every Friday it was neglected abused and scrapped. Bob' steeped in and restored Otto glory ! Good food, lots of memory's and wonderful service. Clime in a classic and cruzeiro on in or use the cruse thru window,
(5)Image C.
We came in for breakfast, even though it was lunch time. There wasn't anyone to set us so we just sat at the bar top. The waitress told us their special. Over all it was a great place
(4)Cosmic Mom C.
It does the job. Basic breakfast. Good service which I could care less about. Loud enough so my kids don't stand out. California Eggs Benedict are pretty good. .
(3)Kenny B.
The good: very clean and wonderful looking building. Thinking i liked the style of johnnies more but i still like the look a lot. Service was good...they were attentive...but not to the point of annoying. Salad was good (i like that bobs big boy blue cheese). ..although i think this may have been a slightly different recipe than the one i normally see at other bobs big boys (definently at the store....hint was that it was too liquidy). Fun jukebox music in the background The two car hop girls i saw outside. Lol. .just sayin'. .... The bad: Burger was small and had no real taste at all. I am positive there was no seasoning on it. No flavor at all...i had to sprinke salt, pepper, and whatever else i could find to get some taste and i still got nothing. Was really disappointed. Seriously mcdonalds has more flavor. Would i come back. Sure...i'd try the breakfast out only. As for the burger...probably not again.
(2)John B.
Incredibly friendly staff, prompt and attentive. I find myself why I haven't been here to this location before... But I will be back. Clean, comfortable, and classic! I cannot ask for more. Thank you!
(5)Carol N.
Love Bob's big boy. The food is great and the price is reasonable. If you go ask for Diana, great waitress with a happy attitude.
(5)Maurice S.
If you are looking for a nostalgic experience then by all means go. If it's the old taste of Bob's Big Boy famous original double burger then stay far away! First off my girlfriend and I sat down and was not approached by our server for almost 15 min. Once approached we decided to order the famous double burger. My question to everyone, when did Bob's turn into McDonalds? The burger came out and it was very small with thin parties. The relish was so over powering that it took over the burger experience. Now usually you have a server come over several times to ask if you need anything. The service is atrocious! We had to get up and ask the busboy to fill our drinks. So go to relive your past but be forewarned, it's NOT like it used to be.
(2)Sunny A.
Oh man. Its not like the old days. How this place has good reviews is beyond me. I ordered The Original Double decker cheeseburger. It seriously looked like a Big Mac, and taste very similar to one! The patties were thin and had that frozen taste to them. The burger comes with a middle bun that I removed because the patties were so thin that it was too much bread. The fries were good the side salad was sad, half wilted lettuce with super watery ranch dressing. The Boyfriend got the deluxe burger with the middle bun on the side. He said it was just meh. The only thing that made it somewhat good was that he asked for bacon with the buger. Which was an extra $2! On top of our order we got a peanut butter fudge shake. It sucked! It was all peanutbutter and no chocolate. We addressed this and they took it off the tab. Our waitress Barbra or Brenda we cant remember her name. Was nice but inattentive. She paid more attention to her other 3 tables (the place was empty), which from the looks of it seemed to be the regulars. Overall avoid this place and just go to McDonald's their burgers taste the same. Fronks in Belflower is the place to go for a good burger!!!!!
(1)Nicole B.
I love eating here!! The food is bombb and I love how cool the inside looks. Super edgy. Definitely request Kayleigh to be your server, she is always super helpful and has a great attitude. I get the cheeseburger with pastrami fries every time and it tastes amazing.
(5)Davina D.
This place is just ok. I heard it was awesome back in the day but times change I guess. I don't recommend the Mac and cheese tasted so bland and they use kraft it seems like. The supreme blt isn't supreme by far it needed more bacon and less lettuce. The kitchen sink burger is the best thing I've had so far. I don't recommend the green brisk tea either cuz it's too sweet. I'll come back but stick with their big mac style burger which is their signature I hear...
(3)Lizbeth P.
The food was AMAZING!! the bread was so soft, ingredients fresh, fries not greasy. Drinks stayed filled. Took a star away because the server seemed overwhelmed with to many tables, had to wait to order which usually wouldn't have been a huge deal but I was starving. I could hear the servers talking behind the counter way too loud. But other than that it was a great experience.
(4)Oscar L.
Ordered a super big boy, I asked for jalapeños in my burger and they gave me a whole pepper cut in four slices which wasn't even grilled. Because my food took about 20-25 minutes to come out I didn't say a thing. The burger patty also lacked seasoning. Waiter was cool, although I didn't catch his name cause he seemed busy but still did a good job. I had options today as to where I should treat myself... safe to say I regret my decision unfortunately.
(2)Vee V.
Nice! Clean and delicious. my boyfriend was telling me about the history of this place, very interesting. Also our server, "Diana" is soooo adorable and pleasant! I ordered the strawberry shake and the Bob's burger. tonight its pretty busy but even then they seated us quickly and keep checking in on us:)
(5)Amber V.
Nobody said hi to us until 10 minutes of me being there . I took my 4 yr old brother so they could definitely here us . anyway the price I thought was a little to much for the simple burger I ordered . but I very big on neat and cleanness and that it was excellent for in both plus the services after she finally got to us wasn't so bad .
(2)Martha S.
It's okay for breakfast, the offer buffet options but I always rather just order from the kitchen because you're going to get a fresh plate. The buffet surprisingly does have good menudo. And the folks are always really nice.
(3)Judith S.
Quiet honestly one of my favorite restaurants. This is probably the shortest review I will ever right for any establishment. A lengthy review is quite useless. The Bob's Big Boy legacy lives on in it's ambiance and it's food. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu...unless you have a food allergy or something of the sort. Highly recommend ending your meal with a hearty dessert. You will not be disappointed.
(5)Danny D.
Dans reminiscing of the 80s when it was called johnies broiler or harveys broiler. Theres a drive through to.
(5)Veronica A.
Got my order wrong. Took forever. Mac n cheese is from a box. Never brought the mustard.
(1)Terry M.
Blast to the past. This place was rebuilt after a fire a few years ago. Great job on recreating the old structure. The food is traditional American and it's nothing special. Once again traditional. The waitresses take the whole 50's era very seriously. What I love is the older customers who come in with the full 50's gear. There are nights where car clubs park here and you can come and gawk at there cars. Will always come back. It's part of Downey history.
(3)Desire R.
I love this place!! Brings back great memories of when my grandpa would take me to the one in San Bernardo :) #throwback lol They always have a great attitude and look happy to be there serving you! It's always a good thing when they have beer for those days right? Lol that's what won me over even more.. They serve bottle beer! Anyhow back to the food! It's really yummy ..the ambience is great and the staff is superb. Rock n roll is always the way to go right?
(5)Ralph V.
My wife and I were in the neighborhood looking for a late-night dinner and we decided to try this place out. The last time we were here it was the old Johnny's Broiler. I had my reservations about this place, thinking that a corporation like Bob's Big Boy would kill any nostalgia of the old place. I was wrong, big time. The entire place was classically decorated in Googie architecture, paying homage to the original Harvey's / Johnny's Broiler restaurants and Downey's space-age history (bonus points for saving a part of the old signage and displaying it in the parking lot). Can't complain about the food. Generous portions, and pretty tasty. Not the best diner-style food, but it's as good as it'll get from a chain restaurant. The service was AWESOME (our server definitely earned the 25% tip we left him). We'll definitely return to this restaurant when we're in the area.
(4)Patty F.
Excellent customer service and delicious food! I loved eating here and will be back soon :)
(5)Charles C.
If you ever been to Johnie's Broiler, before it turned into Bob's, the management did a great job in maintaining the look and feel of the old diner. It's always fun to go on Wednesday nights and see the classic cars, while potentially sitting in Robert De Niro and Al Pacino's booth, from Heat. Good solid classic American food and all the waitresses have a motherly helpful personality. The only thing I can nit pick about is the cleanliness of the booths. They may need to have a bus boy per section, to really get the crumbs and liquid after every meal.
(4)Mary B.
I came here twice. Once for breakfast and once for lunch. The smell when you first walk in is pretty bad. It kind of smelled like smelly feet lol, but then you get used to it. Anyway, the food was OK. There wasnt anything spectacular about it. This place reminds me of Carrows.
(3)Johana C.
Love going to big boys but this locations does not serve good food! I got a French dip , I took a bite and it felt like I was biting into bread with salt. The meat had no flavor and the dip sauce tasted like salt and water. I don't think I'll come back to this location .
(2)Shawnta G.
I have NEVER been so upset of the quality of food as well as service. This restaurant was horrible. I ordered my burger without mayonand relish. I received it with relish. The assisting waiter said oh it wasnt on there. Then he comes back with my food and says there is a drop of relish on ur bun. This was by far the most horrible experience I have ever had at a Bob's Big Boy's restaurant.
(1)Esteban P.
First things first i love big boys burgers but todays service was horrible the servers were not being attentive as well as with my meal was supposed to come with pancakes but never showed the server didn't even notice our drinks needed refilling until e got our food place is nice and clean but the service was just bad
(1)Nery P.
Wow What a delicious chocolate banana shake Zesty tortilla soup Buffalo Chicken burger Fast friendly service Thanks Janette
(4)Miguel A.
We had a great experience here the food was great but the service that we got from Diane our waiter was fantastic she's a great example of Costumer service friendly staff above and beyond I don't understand peoples reviews here this is a we'll put place.
(5)Fran D.
Service and food is still great, really enjoyed my breakfast , food was great. Thought all the condiments didn't even had to ask
(5)Jackie A.
Does it really take 40min to make a burger? This place was slow.. It shouldn't have taken this long!
(1)Diana M.
I love there burgers here best thing ever is there onion rings they were so good bomb af wit there ranch ummm ummm ummm can't wait to go back again
(5)Angela M.
Blehhhhh! Man o' man has this place gone downhill! Bad food: fries were disgusting and old, corned beef Reuben was just gross,the meat was fatty and just flavorless. The hamburger relish doesn't taste the same, it's pretty bland. My family and I would always go to Bobs Big Boy back in the day and then they started closing, so it has only been a few times that we have gone in the past years and those few times have not been memorable. I happen to live by the Downey BBB and since then have gone twice and both times have not been happy with what I got. I will never go back again, what a waste of calories and money!
(1)Jenny S.
I had breakfast here and it was the most disgusting experience I've had by far. The eggs Benedict sauce felt like it went old. The Belgian waffle had no taste at all, adding the strawberries and whipped cream really made no difference to the waffle. The omelette had a really weird taste. I think they used egg beaters, which is something I did not ask for. Not even the avocado was good, it was very hard. I came in hungry and left hungry. I gave one star because they don't have an option for -0 .
(1)Dee W.
I have not stepped foot into this place since it was Johnny's Broiler & I was about 11 years old. We've come here twice, recently. Once for lunch on a random weekday & at a time when it was fairly slow & also this Saturday during a busy time & to my surprise the service, speed & quality was exact the same. We have yet to order something we have not enjoyed! So nice to have a GREAT diner nearby! OMG I'M HUNGRY NOW!!!!
(5)Andrea G.
Popped in for some eats on a Thursday morning. I was told to sit anywhere. I chose a booth. Tanner was my server. I had an egg white omlette with veggies, sliced tomato and coffee. My breakfast came out hot, my tomatos were perfectly sliced, my coffee was always full and Tanner gave me excellent service.
(3)Cathy W.
My friends and I went out for an impromptu late dinner and I had a craving for a milkshake, so we decided to eat at Bob's Big Boy. This was my first time here and I was really impressed by the service! Although they weren't busy this late at night, we were greeted with a genuine smile and our server brought beverage refills came before we even asked for them. I was on the fence about between the caramel butter pecan or the chocolate turtle milkshake & our server kindly explained the ingredients in each one. Our server asked me if liked my milkshake and actually listened to the answer! Typically when I'm dining out, it seems like the server always asks you about the food when you're mid-bite and disappears without really listening to what you have to say. When I explained how it did not taste like butter pecan or caramel, he offered to switch it out for another flavor or adjust with more caramel without charge. I opted for the chocolate turtle instead and it was waaaaay better! Overall, we received friendly, attentive service and the food was decent. We will return next time we have a craving for burgers and shakes. :)
(4)Carrie B.
Good food and atmosphere. Went to Bob's Big Boy a lot as a kid so coming here brings me a little bit back. Had a great steak and my husband really enjoyed the chili. Shared a hot fudge sundae. Having our Groupon made it that much better.
(4)Rachael T.
Bob's Big Boy has always been a special childhood memory. As a kid, we went to the one on the side of a major highway on the way back from the hills, but when they put one in Downey, I was ecstatic. Their chocolate Malts are the best! And their burgers and fries are only second to in n out. They're a little pricy, but the food is totally worth it. The rating does not fit the quality for this place; I can't believe, like so many other places on Yelp, that Bob's only has a three to four star rating!
(5)Wenders B.
First time here. I ordered some burger with avocado, and it was really good! The waitress was very attentive, she brought everyone a refill without having to ask for one. I am willing to come back when I am nearby.
(4)Jimmy V.
Any dogs I order I make sure to ask for pastrami fries because when a guy wants to eat a guy wants to eat,and if I'm not mistaken this is the only place that offers this delectable side!
(4)Eli G.
Honestly, go to Pete's Patio. Service sucked for a slow Thursday afternoon. Fries and onion rings were chewy. Didn't even feel like sending them back. The burgers were ok and the place was clean.
(3)Lola B.
Our waitress was just beyond awesome. She was so funny and remembered our order and she was very attentive. We hadn't been to Bobs Big Boy in about two years and we usually go to the location near Palos Verdes. I had not been to this location since it was Jonnies Broilers and that was about 16 years ago right before it closed . It was pretty awesome being back on here . Food and service was great. Parking was awful due to the car club of Hondas and Racing cars outside but we eventually found parking down the block about 45 min later. The kids loved it. Had a great family night regardless
(5)Lilly S.
In the neighborhood and decided to try Bob's for the first time. Definitely regret not trying it earlier. Thank goodness places like these are still open in 2014. Great burgers and great fries. Small note to add...they forgot to add 1 order of fries. I would've taken away a star if the wrap I ordered wasn't enormous and overall delicious.
(5)Noro Z.
Came here with the guys on a Monday night had the best service by Alison and Jorge, Jorge told us about the special for Monday nights and it was exactly what we wanted, drinks came promptly and burgers were great! I will be back for the service and food again!
(5)Denise G.
This was one of my favorite places to eat but over the last few months the quality of food and service has declined, I'm usually a Sunday morning regular but have stopped since a while ago because I just feel that the service is no longer the same, last night was probably my last time I will visit, granted it was Christmas but it was not too busy there we figured it would be a decent experience, our waitress is one I always try to avoid when I go because I feel like she's the only one in the whole place that has a horrible attitude but with our luck that's who we got, she very rudely took our order, we ordered 2 steaks well done when arrived they were cooked medium and rare, we asked for loaded mashed potatoes and they were regular, we sent one steak back and it came back still red! Not pink but red! This time without one of the sides, my eggs, hashbrowns, and pancakes were all cold aside from my steak being under cooked, our kids were done with their meal way before she came to ask if everything was ok we told her no and she just walked away! A few mins later we spoke to the manager and she comped us the steak which was decent on her behalf and she did make us feel like she cared but then the waitress came back and ruined by saying "sorry but theyre really busy in there" they're really busy so we have to receive shitty food and service? Let me remind you it wasn't that busy and I've been there during busier times and my service and food was excellent! I don't think I will ever return to this location again.
(1)Dfe G.
Looooove coming here for breakfast with my fiance on the weekends. Servings are huge, waitresses are sweet and service is pretty fast. It can get pretty busy sometimes so call ahead to ask about a wait.
(5)Annabel F.
Love this place it's our third time back, great service and food. My daughter spilled all of her drink on her high chair they were not rude about it at all just laughed with us, they cleaned it up and got her another drink
(5)Karla F.
Mom and I recently discovered that we do not have to drive all the way to Burbank for Bob's Big Boy. Thanks to Groupon, we did discover there was a location in Downey and were so pleasantly surprised by the wonderful customer service from the very beginning of when I called to ask for better directions on the phone as we were a little lost and was given great detailed directions and patience over the telephone by Jeanette (the tall pretty blond manager) and she even told me to please call her back if I got lost! I mean, really??? That type of customer service coming from a fast-paced establishment? And this was on a Saturday night as well! Upon our arrival, was greeted by Matt at the door who was soooooooo accommodating to a particular booth in the section of the restaurant that had no current server available but upon me telling him that mom and I would REALLY like to see if the manager can make that happen, he happily obliged and Jeannette came over to greet us personally with Matt and made it happen! On top of that, Jeannette elected to have Francisco to serve our table. Let me tell you something, mom and I were starving and he was very quick with the service (despite having other tables attending to), and always showed up with a smile, checked in on Mom and I, as well as Jeanette taking time out to make sure mom and I were good, and couldn't have asked for a more fantastic experience. Plus, Francisco is not just waiting there, but he is putting himself through a higher academic school and working a job night and day to pull this off to become an engineer!! Really smart and well-educated young man and when Jeanette told us that night was his first time (or he recently just started), we were shocked because he knew the menu so well and was such a professional! Oh yes, the food, absolutely scrumptious, the original Bob's Big Boy sauce was perfect, and the salads with our burgers were ice crisp, and Francisco even brought their famous blue cheese dressing on the side with our salads without even us gals telling him! Talk about further excellent customer service, I guess our waiter is already in tuned that most women want to try and maintain their figure! Please check out this location and ask for Jeanette and get Francisco to wait on your table and be sure and say hi to Matt if he is working the door that night and he will do his best to accommodate you! :)
(5)Julie F.
This restaurant was used in the Mad Men episode, "Tomorrowland. " Don is impressed with Megan for how she handles Sally spilled milkshake. Season 4 finale.
(4)Zulema O.
This is my first visit in 2 years. Can't believe I haven't been around. Although the condition of some of the seats are worned out, I still enjoy the place. Food always tasted good here. It can be pretty pricey though. Interior has faded and have worn out. Doesnt hwlp that the seats are white either :-/. I would definetely return...when iHop is full.
(4)Lily V.
I used to come to Johnny's Broiler with my family every weekend when I was a little girl, and now as an adult I still love to come here as Bob's Big Boy. The food is delicious, and the staff is very friendly. My only requests are to play more oldies, and crank up the AC! Love the nostalgia.
(5)Rudy R.
Enjoyed dinner with my kids here. My daughter really liked her Chicken Sandwich with Teriyaki sauce and fries, and my son enjoyed his Bacon Cheeseburger with fries. I had a Super Big Boy Burger with Onion Rings and side salad. Only thing I'd change is to have that side salad in a deep bowl instead of a dish. Kayleigh was all smiles and quite a pleasant waitress. Overall good service and good food.
(4)Danielle S.
I love this place! Good food. Good service! I'll be back! I haven't received good service like this in a long time! They served me my food really fast too!
(5)Kristina O.
I've been to this location at least 5 times thus far, and I love it! The waiters and waitresses are completely nice and helpful. The food is amazing and comforting, and I rather enjoy the atmosphere as well. The huge picture of Austin Powers in the back is pretty cool. I've had the original double deck cheeseburger with bbq sauce and bacon, the bbq jack, and the big blue cheese, and they've all impressed me. Burgers are perfectly cooked, juicy, and flavorful. Their fries are tasty too, just be sure to ask for some seasoning salt to sprinkle on to them. They give the fries a more savory flavor dimension. If you feel like going all out, definitely get the pastrami fries. You could probably make a meal out of them alone. Their desserts are great too. They just unleashed a line of mini desserts, so that really helps after you've eaten a gigantic cheeseburger and your boyfriend doesn't want to split a big dessert with you... or maybe that's just me. I always eat here when I come to Downey to go to Dark Realm Records, and I think this is a tradition that will continue for years.
(5)Lina F.
Been here a couple times and it's overrated. The drive thru takes forever, and when I eat inside it takes long too. Overall it's just an average place, I like it before when it was Johnny's the food was better.
(3)Wendie R.
good food, good service, great old school atmosphere!!
(4)Sam N.
A cool 50s type diner with a bunch of Downey regulars. They have a decent cheeseburger and some good shakes. I do like to support mom and pop establishments, but this place was just ok. It did nothing amazingly spectacular, but it was pretty good. Overall an A ok burger for a mom and pop joint in Downey
(3)Tom M.
I have to raise my rating. The owner of the business was kind enough and concerned about my review that he contacted me. Not many business owners care enough about their customers and quality of their product. But he does.
(4)Rosie S.
a staple of my childhood i am a sucker for old fashion things i love that this restaurant was in cant hardly wait that they filmed in this location just for the restaurant scenes its got good quality excellence
(5)Nesha B.
I love this place I was soooo happy when I mived cities and found one close by less than 10mins. The service herenis excellent as well as the food ive come different times morning and night the wait it close to no wait I wish they were 24hrs kike the original one but this will do for now. I also like how I get the same server and he knows my order its refreshing that they pay attention to their customers
(4)Bobbie M.
I ordered the Big Boy hamburger combo. There was no flavor or seasoning in the meat. The two stars are for the strawberry shake that was very good.
(2)Art E.
Awesome burgers and fries. Just don't order the eggs Benedict, the holinday day sauce tastes terrible.
(4)Karina O.
Today I came in with my brother and my sister. We were here for a late dinner and most of the food was gone but the manager personally came and told us and help us choose what else we could get. I will come back again for their great customer service and welcoming staff. Plus the food was delicious.
(5)Lisbeth C.
We came here for brunch. Thinking of trying something new. I order a kids cheeseburger, and I asked for vegetables to be add it to the cheeseburger, they charge $0.75 for the tomatoes! I order the California Eggs Benedict's, it was not worth the price, it was way to many grease in it. The Coffee was good and the service Anna is great!
(2)Michael G.
I started going here when I was younger and it was Johnies/Harveys. It was a cruise hang out and there were car shows and drive in service. I don't remember the food much back then but now I'm hooked on the Big Boy combo. There are lots of Bob's that come and go and you order the Big Boy off the menu and get the California version which is good. I was brought up in Detroit and they made it different. At this Big Boy you can order Michigan style and it tastes just like the Elias Bros. version. I've been here several times lately and it's now one of my favorite lunch spots. my wife loves the waffles so we can go together for early brunch. There are classic cars on Wednesday nights and other events throughout the week. This place has the feel of an old school drive in even though its no longer a drive in. The service is excellent and the servers are all nice people.
(4)Brittany B.
This is the site of the old Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler, and Bob's has done a nice job bringing the place to its former glory. The staff is super-friendly and really worked together to get our food out quickly. I had the Pappy Parker's Fried Chicken: two-piece meal with soup and two sides for $7.99, not a bad deal! My mom didn't like the cheese on her salad, and the waitress took it back for a new one with no cheese, and no drama. Very cool. Otherwise, standard yummy Bob's fare here: chili spaghetti, chili size, grilled cheese, burger, turkey meal. Love that I can get a vanilla malt! I don't really frequent Downey, but I'd return if I was in the area again.
(4)Matthew V.
The Downey Bob's Big Boy Broiler location takes me back to my childhood. Back in the day, depending on which restaurant you were at, you had different sauce options for the burgers. At the Downey location, they offer most of them. The red relish is one of my favorites. The interior design is old school, and I'm glad they considered that when they rebuilt the restaurant a few years ago. I still need to do the car hop one night in my convertible.
(4)Paula B.
This restaurant is great except its always busy and even when it is not busy, they always seem under staffed. Nonetheless the customer service is great, well at least they really try and the food is good too.
(4)Stacey R.
I have been here about 3x already and each time I have gone the service has been TERRIBLE. The bus boy was more attentive and nicer than the waiters/waitresses. The manager was horrible! she was incredibly rude and was on a personal call while behind the register when we were paying. Not very professional! The food is Okay, and the shakes are good, but they definitely need new management and waiters/waitresses that offer better customer service.
(2)Richard M.
Yes yes, I visited when it was Johnny's and it was retro cool. I mean originally retro cool. I used to take my 63 triumph tr-4 and sit at the car hop. Tray attached to window, face stuffed all with an eyeful of skirt. Had lunch today and it was regular good for a Bob's Big Boy. I wouldn't usually eat at Bob's for reasons which are still unclear to me. But then again, clowns and drag queens, freak me out too. This place makes it all worthwhile. The Big Boy burger was good. The onion rings were pre machine made ok. The root beer refreshing. The service was spot on and the ambiance, ahhh the ambiance is where it really is isn't it. . . . . Please visit this place before someone try's to demolish it again!
(4)Joseph B.
Great Breakfasts. Always hot, fresh, fantastic buttermilk pancakes. Mom likes their waffles. Service has always been 5 stars. This is the cleanest Bob's Big Boy in Socal. Their bathrooms smell and look like surgical operating rooms.
(5)Lex R.
cute place! friendly environment! waitress was a total sweetheart! veggie burger is to die for! will defiantly be back :)
(5)Lexi R.
its a 5 star rating but yelp will filter out. Jorge, Brenda, Moises, and Diana are an amazing staff! they remember our orders from every week and make us feel like family. I love going there every Monday night for JDM night (Japanese Domestic Motors night). They even have a Monday night special for $6.99!! Double cheeseburger, fries, and a drink! wow! I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!
(4)Francisco B.
Their breakfast deal is awesome. Good customer service, there wasn't a lot of ppl when I was there. I recommend the breakfast deal.
(4)Jeanette H.
Like coming here for their breakfasts, nothing exciting but it's good and inexpensive. Actually the last time we went we got absolutely bad service. It was not the waitress's fault, it was the owners who booked a giant party during peak breakfast time so they weren't able to assist us. We even got free burger meal vouchers to come back because of this. I won't let this bad time sour me, I do plan on returning since I've been here before with no issues. They make a good pancake...so I gotta come back LOL. They also offer free milkshakes with Yelp Check-in!
(3)Heather W.
I was so excited to find a Bob's in Downey. I had grown up with the one on Santa Monica Boulevard that had closed many years ago on the Westside. I took my assistant there for lunch today. The Reuben was fantastic, ditto the onion rings (though my digestive system is still dearly paying for it--not so used to grease anymore--but worth it all the same). Janette, our waitress was fantastic, so warm and attentive. A+++++
(5)Amber A.
Ive been to bobs before but this specific visit i am so upset with, i really wont be returning to this locatiom ever again. We ordered through the drive through and understand that it was so busy because it is friday night roughly pm. HOWEVER this does not excuse the professionalism of the staff and the various mistakes we corrected. Upon leaving one staff, a girl, even said "sorry we're so unorganized here" and laughed. We're not laughing. At all. We ordered via phone for pickup amd the guy just answered "hello" on the phone....not thank you for calling big boys or anything. The music was blaring and after repeating my first order item three times, the guy on the phone finally had to put me on hold to turn down the music. We ordered the country chicken salad, the bbq cheeseburger w/ pastrami and a shake. You would think with such a small order one could get it right, think again. All the prices were wrong and we asked about them. The two staff girls and a manager im guessing changed the price on our receipt 3 times because of the price discrepancy from the menu we were given and the ACTUAL charge. The price difference was anywhere between 70cents to $2.00. We may sound like tightwads, but its specifically annoying when you're just trying to order a meal and everything is so unorganized and the prices are obviously different from All the menus. There is a standalone drive thru menu outside as well as a dine in menu as well as an online menu and a drivethru pamphlet menu which is the one we were given by the staff. With the time wasted at this place, the inconsiderate service, the blatant disconcern for our time and getting our total wrong three times, not to mention the absence of the ciabatta bread that was supposed to come with my salad but obviously was forgotten about, i wish i could rate this place a zero star. Service is everything.
(1)Andrew G.
Pulling in I see a VW Microbus and a late 50's early 60's Bug, one of the older ones with the glass in front of the front lights... This was 1:00PM on a Friday. I'm in love with this place already and wonder what they have on Friday and Saturday nights with American iron. I ordered the best Cheeseburger (or something like that) onion rings, Strawberry shake, with a glass of water to wash it all down... I can feel the calorie excess surging in my veins and will need to really work it off. But man was it good. The onion rings were battered with a thick batter that was nice and crispy with little flakes on the edges, the burger was really good too, I'd stop short of greatest, but really good. The Strawberry shake was incredible, just incredible.. okay it's been sometime since I've had a shake like that, I don't order shakes that often, but yawsa. Leaving I noticed the two Volkswagons were still in the parking lot and I wondered if they were props... but I didn't really care, cuase if were a Friday night and my wife asked where I wanted to go to go for dinner? I'd say Hon, let's take the old Vette to Bob's, I want to park next to an old bug and talk about how to improve horse power over a strawberry shake.
(4)Anytime A.
food is banging good and if you sleep on this little sweet joint your koo-koo. trust me its everything that should be in the diner experience!
(5)Dr K.
The banana split hot fudge cake is the bomb. Service is slow. Most of the food is meh. Nothing special. Went cause of groupon half cost for 16 bucks.
(2)Beto A.
I went there with a party of about 10. There weren't many people there and we were seated fairly quickly. I take it the place is newly remodeled and looks great. Don't bother putting money in the jukebox, you can hardly hear it. What a shame. I love jukeboxes. I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with fries. It came burnt. SInce it was a big party, i really didnt want to send it back because it might take forever to receive my replacement and everyone would finish before me. Three bites in and I couldn't chew anymore. I returned it and asked for a new burger. It finally came about 10 minutes later and I was right, everyone else pretty much finished their meal by the time I received mine. My second burger was below par and wasn't worth half the price I paid. First time at Bob's Big Boy and it might be my last. With so many great burger joints in the L.A. area, I don't see why I would give it another shot. Another guest sitting in front of me hardly touched his veggies. When asked why, he said they weren't well cooked -- half warm, half cold. Not good for a first impression. Update 3/2/10: I raised the rating to 2 stars. Although I did not like my food, the restaurant was clean and roomie. It has a nice feel to it and the drive up parking spots to order and eat are a great touch you no longer see.
(2)Hector J.
I came here last Saturday night around eight with my mother, apparently they have a car gathering here every Wednesday and Saturday from 5-10. Unfortunately we arrived a little late and were only to view about 10-15 cars. It was really cool, I would love to come back another day and see the whole lot full of old hot rods. :) Now back to the food and service. Our waitress, I forgot her name, was fantastic! She had a terrific attitude and attended to us graciously. I ordered a Triple Decker Turkey Club and onion rings, the food was good. Nothing really special about it, but it has a wonderful environment.
(4)Christopher D.
So in 2001 the Johnie Broiler closed and yeah it was really sad since it was a Downey institution and had been in a bunch of commercials and movies, etc. (my favorites being the Bob Dylan music video "Things Have Changed" and the movie "Can't Hardly Wait") but let's be real here; the food wasn't that great. The same thing applies to the new Bob's Big Boy Broiler. My burger was way overcooked and I like my burgers well done. The french fries were ok but not memorable. Overall I would say that unless they step up their game they're going to experience a HUGE drop-off in buisiness once the novelty factor wears thin. Frisco Burger did it better with their cool 1950's via the 1980's vibe and the food was awesome. The service was ok, our waitress checked up on us perhaps a little too frequently and i felt a little rushed. There's a jukebox full of old e.p.s at the front, but the music was barely audible. Go once if you must.. I'm just dissapointed.
(1)Tyson L.
Finally got a chance to go. As my friend puts it "You pay a little extra for the atmosphere" and not much else. Their "famous double deck burger" was just fine. Relish and ketchup on a stack of bread and cheese. The Country Sliders looked great tho. The atmosphere really is nice. Nice clean white leather booths (I wonder how theyll look in a few years...) Lots of nostalgia inside, and cool T shirts and Big Boy memorabilia for sale. Classic hot rods parked outside. But I may concede that you might as well go to Norms for better service for regular diner food. I'd still want to take other ppl here just cuz of the mystique of a spinning Big Boy statue up top...
(3)Phyliss L.
The best early dinner ever good service , cannot wait to try car hop service. Try nostalgia on for size you will love it.
(5)Brian C.
Ok.. I know what you are thinking, it's just a Bob's Big Boy. And when it comes to the food, you are right. It's the basic american fare that made bob's famous. It's good food (not great) at good prices (not great). But the real reason to go to this place is the great atmosphere and the history. The building has been here since the late 40's and early 50's and is an amazing piece of classic american diner architecture. And they even have car hop service on weekend evenings. So if you want a great burger, I would say go to Ruby's or Red Robin, but if you want a good burger and want to experience a classic American diner or car hop, go to Bob's Big Boy Broiler in Downey.
(3)Kelly K.
OHH I finally went to this BOB Big boy Doweny store because every restaurant except this one is crowded my mom suggest it we went there it wasn't that bad for Mother day it really good then all classic car owner came in my dad was impress I think best breakfast so far over there is blockbuster where you get bacon Saurage of ham with two biscuit and gravy, toast or pancake which it is good Best customer service especially on Mother day
(5)Yaboy V.
Clean, great service and good food!
(4)Andrew V.
Fun place, always have something going on in their parking lot!
(4)Hector J.
So they finally reopen this place. Used to visit when it was Johnny's broiler and it was a nice little dive place, now it seems like it's trying to appeal to car culture people again. You'll probably see those poseur motorcycle crews hanging here on the weekends. Decor is nice. It's sort of a modernized googie sort of aesthetic. Everything clean and polished. Makes you think of the fins on those old 50's convertible cars. Friend had the signature double-patty whatever burger. It was sort of tasteless. I had the turkey and bacon sammich and it was pretty damned good. Overall I think the food is acceptable, but nothing more. Atmosphere is nice but a bit TOO polished. Wait a couple of years till it gets a good layer of grease on the walls and it'll be a hell'ofa place to eat.
(2)Maria D.
I was in South Central and wanted to try a Mexican Spot. As we were headed there my dad started complaining, saying that he's tried the restaurant we were heading to and it wasn't that great. "OK dad, where would you like to go?" "How about Big Boy's?" Since I can remember, my dad has had a thing for Big Boy's. As kids, my siblings and I we're gifted Big Boys bobble heads and Big Boy's banks. So I was down, since I didnt remember ever actually going to Big Boy's, I just remember the stuff. The place looked awesome! The music: a lot of fun. The food: meh. I would have preferred a burger from Hawkins, but whatever. I had a lot of fun with the familia, and this place is a lot more kid friendly then Hawkins haha. If I went back I'd try something different. But I'd only go back if my dad came with us. For me, I cant imagine one without the other.
(2)Karen J.
This place was awesome! Great food, very good service, and super clean, plus you get a free milkshake when you check in. And i'm def. going back to try their all you can eat breakfast buffet. (:
(5)Elizabeth P.
I had to ask for everything, napkins, coffee, sugar. It sucked. I won't be going there again.
(1)Chelsy W.
How can I scream the loudest on the internet??? AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAÂAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA love love love love Thank you for making my life complete : ))))))))))))
(5)Arce E.
Really good service,and the breakfast is great!
(4)Luis M.
It's great that the folks at Bob's Big Boy decided to bring life back into this Downey landmark. Cool decor, some of the booths feel like suede leather, car hop; the place is beyond cool. They even payed homage to the old Johnny's by refurbishing the sign and installing it in the lot. Now the food. Hey, it's Big Boy the food is just ok, nothing to write home about and priced a little high. Nothing much more to add there. The service, the day I went was absolutely spectacular (I saw that fellow yelpers really had a hard time here). We had the best waitress the place has to offer. A young Latina woman in her late 20's, curly hair, great smile. She was pleasant, happy to be there, took pride in her work and not once interrupted me and my GF's meal. Her timing was impeccable. Made all the difference.
(3)Reeg F.
Great place to come and chill with your friends and bring your classic cars,
(4)Roxy A.
Really cute original style decor, clean, classic music, good food w/ big portions, free milkshake with 'check in' on Yelp mobile, clean, friendly staff and sitting across the handsomest man in the place..what more could you ask for? Lovely ,take you back in time, place. FYI they even have a veggie burger and tons of chicken options. My daughter loved the chili spaghetti.
(5)Ric J.
Nice redesigned restaurant. Service B-, Prices C+ Food C+.
(3)Ocra G.
This is the one place i haven't reviewed and have been to three times now. If I could go back to write a review i'd say the first time that this place was spot on. Great service. friendly people, everyone was hustling to make sure everything was where it should be and how it should be done. I'd even go as far to say the food was beyond amazing is was superb. Take two was a good experience but would hit a three on my rating. Less attentive people... even those who were the same staff, from what I could remember. Take three, this evening, was bad. No one even gave me the chance to say it wasn't good. No one person before or during my meal said hello. People were moving but I don't remember what they were doing... nothing... Not fair. Well they were making tickets but they didn't all move the orders out. Just creating. One waitress was holding down one half the restaurant and the bar... which means slow service, if any at all. She kept denying help from the floor manager. Glad he asked. She should have taken it, it doesn't make her look bad, just helps the service. I love to see team work, it's nice. She shouldn't complain to people on the floor or customers about not needing his help. It bothers me. The food was ok. Good fries, I didn't season them to just taste them, they are good. The Big Cheese and bacon burger was good, the burger was seasoned. I don't know if you have to ask for mayo or some sort of sauce but i didn't have any on my burger, so it was drying eating it. Another thing that is bothering is having to assemble your burger. After i set it up it looked picture perfect, but not when it came to me. I didn't get the cheese I asked for because she was rushing. Root Beer floats with Mug root beer is not good. A good root beer, A &W. My float just didn't have much to it, Mug is flat-ish maybe it was just mine, but I know A&W has the best carbonation and sweetness. Check out was the only time some one was friendly to me. Even the two managers on the floor saw me and never once acknowledged me. Made me miss the food truck. I might go back, but from the time they opened to now, they lost something. Maybe I should stick to the one in Burbank.
(2)Eric O.
5 stars for restoration and ambiance. 3.5 stars for food. & 3.5 stars for service, which is hit & miss. A few rude ladies & a few good experiences. 4 stars for wait time. Overall a good family experience especially for nighttime icecream Sundays! Very good diner experience.
(4)Zhaunn J.
I've eaten here with my family several times since they've opened over a year ago and each time has been just as solid as the first. The service here is generally pretty attentive and fast. The atmosphere is pretty retro 50's diner feeling. They have pretty good diner fare for a burger place. I don't care too much for the red relish that they put on their big boy burger but it's pretty good with 1000 island instead. They have really good pastrami at this place and the pastrami french fries they have are probably my favorite thing to get there. I haven't tried breakfast at this place yet but they have a big sign in front that says they have an all you can eat buffet for breakfast every day so that's probably something i'll try soon. It's good to see bobs big boy coming back to california
(5)Ryan H.
Really solid dining expierence here recently. Love the decor, the layout, etc. Lots of historic pictures on the wall, etc. Service was ourstanding and food was delicious and served piping hot. No compliants, a solid five out of five stars.
(5)Susana A.
Was excited to finally go to Bob's to check out the restoration and a classic burger. The place is beautiful however I must say I was not impressed by the food or the service. I will go back however just to check out the classic cars in the future.
(3)Daniel B.
historical landmark in Downey. it's cool. you get a bunch of car club guys rolling in and standing outside.
(5)Max P.
this place looks cool. i had fun. if you like this place check out park avenue in staton. same playboy/lounge feel
(5)jazmin M.
Ooh the hot fudge cakes were delightful (;
(3)Monica F.
I heard from stories from Bob's Big Boy from family members. So when I heard there was one in Downey, I took my mother there. I was very impressed. I ordered the original double decker hamburger. The burger tasted so fresh. The patty wasn't dry it was juicy and tasted delicious. I loved the decor in the restaurant. The fries and onion rings I love, especially with their special seasoning that they have, I can't wait to come back so I can try their desserts lke the banana split or shake. It was very retro with the booths and counter chairs. The staff was friendly. I'm pleased with Bob's.
(5)Evelyn P.
Bob's Big Boy must have been a big inspiration cuz Bob made great burgers!! So I came here to eat for the 2nd time after enjoying one of the greatest endings to an animated movie; Toy Story 3. We got seated quickly since there were a few people eating at that time. It was all going fine; we got our drinks and our order taken immediately. But from there it went down hill :/ I was a little impatient to get my food after waiting a while and almost finishing my drink. But my biggest disappointment was that once we got served we never saw our server again. I usually never ask for something when they come around for courtesy, but this time I really needed a refill (we both did!). And it wasn't like the place was packed... Once we FINALLY got his attention (because it was the only time he passed) we just asked for our check and left. So all in all it was ok since I am a very patient person but I do hope they work on that... I wouldn't want to go back and have to deal with that again :)
(3)Vanessa J.
It was alright nothing special, Rubys is 1000 times better for burgers and shakes
(3)Leaha P.
I am so happy they opened this place. I enjoyed it a lot. Just the feel of the car hop service is fun! My husband and I own a Ford Falcon convertible and we drove it there sometime last week. The service was great! the nice girl who came to the car made sure we had everything we needed. I needed lots of napkins but in a good way! love the messy juicy burgers! I have to say you can not compare this place to other burger places it is different. If you want a gourmet burger go pay $12 bucks at some fancy restaurant in Santa Monica. Bobs big boy broiler has good fun food to sit in your classic car and eat. Wonderful service and great place for a fun night out.
(5)Isaak M.
Just the best..good food, good atmosphere, very few places like this left.
(4)Mary M.
So everyone is excited about the new Bob's Big Boy. Honestly I could care less. I was a big fan of Johnny's Broiler growing up, but diners these days, especially themed diners have less and less appeal. A friend from out of town wanted to check it out, so we did. It was Sunday night, and the place was packed. We sat closer to the restrooms, and damn is it noisy! They have this super insanely high powered hand dryer that made me wonder if there was a dude with a leaf blower nearby. It was quite annoying. Our waiter looked like a clueless 16 year old, and didn't really pay much attention to us during our visit. I didn't really plan on eating since this is a place for carnivores, not us vegans. My friend had chili cheese fries, and seemed pretty stoked on them. I ended up ordering a side of french fries, only because I didn't want to sit there starring at a wall. honestly I couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. Couldn't hear the music over all the loud yapping from the crowd, and the leaf blower hand dryer, food I cant eat, and crap service. I have gone back a few times, but only to meet up with a friend at the car show they have on Wednesdays in the parking lot. I never go inside unless I plan to use the restrooms. Seriously this place just makes me miss Johnny's, even though I couldn't really eat much there either. Hah! Oh and too many damn greasers! Cause you know, they don't act enough like they are in the 50's, with their 50's cars, 50's hair, 50's outfits, now they have to go to corny 50's diners too. It's 2009! Not the 50's!!! [insert lots of eye rolling here] positives +the place actually looks kinda cute negatives -servers seem like confused teenagers that have no idea what they are doing -too many damn greasers -if you are vegan or vegetarian, don't even bother -way too noisy
(1)Kevin P.
After a nearly 3 year wait having The World Famous (former) Harvey's Broiler back is a miracle! I was there on opening day with my family and WE WERE NOT DISAPOINTED! The food is extremely good and very fresh. The servers are attentive and it seems that one can't get past the CAR HOPS with a friendly greeting! Now that is NICE! There are some people who post on here just looking for the negatives. In this day and age, we are lucky to have a place that is as cool as the Broiler with its "Starlight Polar Lounge" that calls back to the days of dining with Frankie,Joey Sammy and Dean. The entire place was recreated in the purest manner and it's run by people "who do get the whole Googie concept" To the person who parked in the West 40 and hit the head 1st. I seem to remember there only being one waterless urinal and 2 stalls for men. As for the ladies room, I was told that there are 3 stalls in there and it was so far above what used to be outside when it was Johnie's. The counter was packed with customers and heck 'Who eeven puts a counter in anymore,let alone offering up CarHop and drive thru service?" These people are dpoing fabulous and should be commended for their efforts :). Thank you for bringing back 'The Place To Be!"
(5)Tom B.
Food is okay, service is okay, what makes this place is the retro ambience which works..it's a new restaurant though it looks like a cleaned up old Bob's.....they even have car hops to bring the food to your car if you want that 50's-60's experience. Since you have a myriad of greasy spoon burger joints to choose from in this area, you might as well go to one that has some style, which this one does have.....good malts too!
(3)Sandie m.
I love this place especially the waitress with the red hair she's an older lady she's the sweetest good food can't go wrong!!
(5)Jose D.
After a long wait for the Bob's Big Boy to open in Downey California, I was a little disappointed. The reason I say that is because I recently had breakfast there one morning, I had the country fried steak and eggs with a side of hotcakes. The eggs were good the hash-browns were a little overcooked and less portioned, and the hotcakes tasted like they were reheated from the oven, and the coffee wasn't that good had a weird after taste. But the decor and design of the place looks awesome I love that vintage 50s looks to the place. I hope this message goes out to them. Come on Bob' Big Boy in Downey train or change your cooks or something!!
(2)Richard S.
Decent old fashioned American diner food. Only complaint is their prices. For the quality it's not worth the price.
(3)Gustavo C.
From time to time I stop by here and munch on a nice burger, with fries, and a shake. Good service, good food, nice desserts, and occasionally, nice cars. Bob's burgers is alright.
(4)Kurt C.
Next time I need to get a burger... Had country fried steak not bad but should of got a burger
(4)Jeb G.
I honeslty didn't enjoy my food at all... I had the big boy, there famous Red relish tasted like salsa to me.ketchup would have been better. My girl had the south west burger and even with its famous guacamole it tasted plain to me. She however enjoyed her food and loved there fries. The Fries I said??? I told her they are super stale how can she enjoy them?? Turns out I was the only one with old stale fries. What a disappointment, never again.
(2)Cynthia G.
First time here 8:30pm got drive thru. Service was good. Food was pretty quick was out of there within 5 minutes since we pulled up. Will be back!
(3)Ernan A.
I made my own burger, I had the BBQ jalapeño cheeseburger with fries and it was amazing. I also had a vanilla shake which was good too. Great american diner environment.
(5)Juan V.
Came to Bob's after my son's first choice of Ihop was way too long of a wait. Glad we opted for Bob's the wait was less than 10min. The service was great Jorge our server was very attentive and the food came out really fast. The food looked and tasted great. Definitely a great first impression, will be going back and would recommend.
(5)brev b.
It's been ages since we've eaten at a Bobs Big Boy. It's the same as we remember it. The service was great! Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Too full for desert, but will definitely come for one of them. Thanks for the good eats!
(4)Jonathan D.
Have come with a decent size party that last two times and waited almost an hour to sit while watching parties close to our size, that checked in after we did get seated first. Have had stomach issues the last two times we've eaten there. This was in our rotation to eat at. Taking it off now.
(2)Vianka A.
I have never been to bobs or a bobs. I've heard a lot of good things, & about the classic car meets taking it back to it's good old days! Let us begin, the location great! & original. When we got out the car we smelled tasty heaven, & of course are bellies started to rumble! When we walked in it smelled so nice, clean, like a raspberry pomegranate smell. Me and my bf came in at 10 pm an hour before closing. I ordered the chicken fried steak with Mac n cheese, grilled garlic roll & ceaser salad. The salad was delicious and the sauce wasn't over powering! There was enough to share!! The CFS was amazing, each bite was tasty. There is real sausage which gave it a refreshing taste! The grilled garlic roll was delicious! Mac n cheese was mediocre. My buddy Franco ordered the kitchen sink burger which he loved and ALMOST devoured it. Our server Kayleigh was awesome and super friendly! Very upbeat & had great customer service skills! I'm a waitress too, and I'm usually not to cheery the last hr before closing lol keep it up! We both walked out extremely satisfied and we definitely will be back!! 5 stArss!!!
(5)John M.
We walked into the Downey's Bob's Big Boy restaurant at 7447 Firestone Blvd. about 4:30 PM,June 16,2015. It had been over four years since we last ate at this place due to the poor service and food we received back then. The place was scarcely populated and it took A while before a woman behind the counter said go ahead and sit wherever you like. Wasn't sure if we were going to get a pleasant experience because the place looked understaffed and not very busy. We took booth close to the front where we can see the counter. In a short time a nice waitress named Brenda brought us menus and we ordered drinks. She brought our drinks which consisted of two ice waters and took our order. We ordered which at one time was our favored selection at Bob's many years ago when it was a top notch restaurant. This was the old kind of famous Bob's big boy combination hamburger dinner. It consists of a double deck hamburger along with french fries and salad. The salad came on a cool oval plate which turned out to be delicious even better than the original salad they used to bring you in a small plastic container. Just as we were finishing the salad Brenda brought us our hamburger and french fries on a warm plate.The french fries were piping hot in fact so hot you had to be careful to keep from burning your fingers when you pick them up. The fries were excellent made from scratch and cooked just right. Are double dick hamburgers had a warm fresh bun that tasted like it was just baked this morning. The meat patties tasted fresh and juicy. This hamburger turned out to be like the original Bob's big boy hamburgers that were famous many years ago. The total bill came to $19.60. This may seem a little expensive for two hamburger dinners but when you stop and consider the high quality of this food is well worth it. My compliments to the manager and staff of this Bob's restaurant in Downey. This hamburger dinner was better than we received at one of the original Bob's restaurants in Burbank/ Toluca Lake area on Riverside street. Four stars. John M.
(4)Tim C.
Coming here sometimes after a great workout at the Goals soccer center is a great idea. Always loved Bob's Big Boy hamburger special. Always reminds me of a Big Mac but better. Even though it's my favorite burger when I come here, I end up ordering one of the breakfast plates. Its like the burger patties are much more greasier than the original location in Burbank. Is it the way they are cooking it? I don't know what it is but I do ask for brown gravy on the side. Lately there has been a Honda/Acura car meet on Thursdays so you might be able to get a parking spot in the car hop area. Waitresses here are pretty good when you ask for different things. I would come back here when the guys want to stop here again. Maybe because of the area, they close kind of early too. Well, 11pm is early for me.
(3)Mario M.
We have grate food good promotion we was driving in the freeway 710 big picture. Then we found the place haha
(3)Junior D.
this place is historical for car hopping. .plenty of movies filmed here..is a cruise spot. .lots of classic cars eat here. .vfoood here is very good also..just wish restrooms had better and more pissing spots
(4)Mark B.
Really happy to see this place back in action. Food is good, ambiance is great Americana. I love the vintage neon signs on the building and the service is good. Never had any issues. Parking seems plentiful, but may be limited if there is an event going on, like a classic car show. They also put in a drive thru which the original structure did not. Had fun taking pictures with the kids next to the Bobs statue.
(4)Fernando C.
First time coming here and the food was great. The best burger on the planet was really the best, for a classic burger it makes your mouth dance in flavor. And the place looks wonderful, its make you feel like your in the 1950s. Good place to eat
(5)Mark G.
Is today closing day? Did all of the employees get a pink slip when they showed up? There were only about SEVEN patrons in the entire place when I walked in. I took a seat, and waited to be acknowledged. Took forever for my waitress to come over. Ordered a Buffalo Chicken salad. Took forever. Apparently it takes lots of time to make sure the chicken is like jerky, dump some wilted lettuce in a bowl, and slather on too much dressing and crappy buffalo sauce. Took another 10 min to get some toasted bread (which turned out to be the best part of the meal). I finished eating and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally I stacked all my dishes in a pile and stared at the employees who were bs'ing by the soda machine. I suppose they were discussing best how to apply for unemployment insurance. There is no doubt in my mind that this place is done and they are about to be let go. There is no other explanation for such horrible service and lackluster food.
(1)Nae M.
Every time my family and I go there, they take forever to get us our food. The drinks especially, those should be priority. But they're slow and obviously understaffed. Their servers are not as friendly as they could be, I mean, be happy to have a job and make us feel welcomed. Too bad because it's a popular place.
(2)Erica T.
First time going and everything was perfect!! Food was delicious and the service was great !!!
(5)A. Brigitte D.
Went there late last night for the first time and it wasn't particularly busy but a fair share of tables were taken so it's definitely a good place to go that won't be busy like iHop or Denny's late at night. I was probably fairly hungry because the food tasted alright for a casual restaurant. I got the Southwest burger and it was delicious! I'd definitely recommend it. The ranch was a little watery and the chili for the chili cheese fries wasn't "substantial" but they still sufficed in the flavor department. For a diner, it was pretty standard food. However, I'm mostly writing this review for our waiter Jorge. He was extremely attentive to our needs, kept checking up on us just the right amount of times, was never impatient or troubled by our requests for miscellaneous things. What really set his service apart though was him offering things like, "would you like ranch with your fries?" and etc. without us having to ask for everything as we thought of it. I'd go back just because he was so nice! :)
(4)Don K.
Chocolate shake and fries. It's where it all started for me. Always a good trip down memory lane. Grandmas favorite place for burgers. The big boy is still a favorite, and the only place I'll eat blue cheese dressing.
(4)Mar G.
Three out of four meals completely screwed up on drive through service. We made so he gad our order right and reviewed it with him. We specifically reviewed with him what was to be on each item. And then . . . Guacamole burger smothered in mustard? WTF ??? And the plain hamburger with no cheese (started three times) came with cheese! And pancakes with no butter or syrup? Waste of time and money and now looking for another drive through to feed my kids.
(1)Janet A.
Love coming here!! Good food & great service... The people here make u feel "at home"!! The one waitress goes perfect with the decor... If you've been here you'll know who I'm taking about! She's the sweetest & nicer & definitely goes beyond her "duties" actually the whole crew is awesome!! Super friendly & sweet!!
(5)Consumer W.
Horrible service! We always get stuck with waitress Nancy. Stay away from her area!!! She's super slow, rude, and not too bright. I would personally stay away from this place altogether, but if you must go, make sure to stay AWAY from Nancy!!!
(1)Shirley A.
Yummy Yummy Yummy. Car hangout on Wednsday nights. Big Boy with a Cherry Coke!
(5)Lisa W.
An American classic! On vacation from AZ with the kids and wanted to grab a bite at somewhere fun and family friendly. We chose Bob's since we hadn't eaten here since we were kids. The burgers were great and the kids meals were good. Special shout out to the French fries that were awesome! The place was clean and the service was nice. The only thing missing was the classic cars that often gather there.
(5)Josephine S.
Been living in Downey for a while now and just tried this place a couple weeks ago. No complaints here! Food was good and service was excellent. The waitress was on top of it the whole time, checked on our table plenty of times and brought refills when necessary. I'll definitely be visiting this place again.
(4)Danny L.
4.5 - You really can not go wrong here. Good food, Good service. Good food as in, well made and consistent. I can say that out of the last 10 times I have eaten here only 2 times did the food not come as i had asked and it was fixed immediately. Good service as in, attentive and friendly. My drink glass was never empty. I even ask what they would recommend off the menu and I would receive a detailed choice. Breakfast is good. When I say good the easiest way I know how to tell is how they serve the bacon. Over cooked or under? In this case they are always spot on. Lunch. My favorite. I have come to enjoy their burgers most of all. Do yourself a favor. Order the Bigboy combo or thier Garlic Burger, go 50/50 fries/onion rings and get yourself a shake/malt. They really make them good here. I like the banana shake myself. Prices are good. Especially breakfast.
(4)Carlos A.
After months of passing through this diner, I finally gave in and took my girlfriend to lunch. It has a great atmosphere, I felt like I was in the 1950's. The food was delicious, it was truly a very juicy and well worth burger, the desserts where even more delicious. So far my experience at Bobs big boys was great and the food is something you have to try. It is literally an all american Classic double decker.
(5)Franky H.
I came here for breakfast on a late Sunday morning after I noticed there was a long wait for Norms, so I came here and were seated very promptly. It took like 5-7 minutes to get a server at our table until I had to flag down the manager (that explains taking away one star). Food was delicious and I loved the atmosphere. Besides the somewhat slow service, I'll definitely give them a second chance and come back here for breakfast! :D
(4)Nathan R.
Went there for breakfast today and service was really bad. Once we were seated it took almost 20 minutes for someone to take our drink order. We told her we were ready to order food as well we were told we had to wait for our waitress to order. Only reason i gave 2stars is because the food was good.
(2)Jorge A.
It's a decent place I like coming her for breakfast and sitting at the counter with my kids. They love it, I like it.
(3)Mamaa M.
Love this locations vintage look and feel, l have been there on car show days, love it! The service in the drive thru is not as quick as other fast food locations, but keep in mind this is a sit down restaurant with a drive thru, amazing!
(4)George R.
I have ordered a lot of different things off their menu and have always had a great meal. This place screams 1950s, in fact they filmed an episode of "Mad Men " here along with a lot of other movies and shows, as well as TV commercials. If you come on a Wed. night you can check out the hotrod show.
(5)Tina-Marie L.
So you may remember this back in the day when it was Johnny's Broiler and it was in many, many movies. Now, it's a Bob's Big Boy Broiler and it still has that old school feel. I've been here a few times with friends, mainly to check out the cars outside, as they have awesome car nights. They have a HUGE parking lot. Almost way too ridiculous for the size of the restaurant. The times that I have been here, I have always had exemplary service. The only problem I have ever had is that they did not take my BBB gift card because the store that it was purchased at (Diamond Bar) was on a different "system." They will accept paper gift certificates. The menu is basically salads, sandwiches, and the burgers. While I like their Bob's Big Boy, I always ask for it without relish because, for me, it gives it this "weird" tanginess that I don't care for. Others love it but it's just not for me. They also have really awesome cookie sundaes for $3. :) It's a basic diner where most people can find something to eat. I like BBBB. The atmosphere, the food, and what can I say I also like that their restrooms are very clean. ;)
(4)Denise F.
Gross Disgusting My cheeseburger was all red I went home with the biggest stomach ache Again Disgusting "Best cheeseburger on earth" my ass!
(1)Bob M.
As a teen in the 1970's , we would all hop in our cars and meet at the local Bobs Big Boy in Uptown Whittier or if we wanted to fight Surfers we would go to the East Whittier location . Bobs was never known for great food, but nostalgic memories are still in my head. Yes we would unscrew the salt shakers , yes we would steal the Seasoned Salt and yes we would try to confuse the car hop. Even though it was the early 70s and life was changing, there was an innocent feeling about Bobs. After Marriott Corp bought them out it all went to hell. They closed and the only one I ever went to was the one in Burbank When the 1950s Johnnies Broiler was being torn down the City of Downey mercifully stepped in and saved the building. That brings us to today. Bobs Big Boy in Downey looks like it does great bussiness , the building was painstakingly restored but had modern upgrades. Lots of old cars, car clubs and events happening here. Service is good ,food is as lousy as ever ( come on they invented the Big Mac,) but I don't know if it's me but where are all the white folk? , I notice that 70 percent of the clientele are Latino ( slow down I qualify ) ...and young , do they even know about the 50's , Googie architecture , American Graffiti , Happy Days? Do they care? They can't be there for the food could they? Back to the parking lot...old cars , really beautiful , shiny bright , wonderful ..yet, the times I been there I feel it's a bit subversive , the Downey Police are always lurking in the street near by. ( not putting down the Police , they know this town) . Worth the visit , if you come in your restored vehicle please make sure you bring all your papers ....
(2)Andrea C.
Chili-cheese spaghetti...'nough said! No but for reals, who doesn't love Bob's Big Boy? Their steak is delicious, their macaroni is OMG. Their chili cheese spaghetti o. Everyone is always nice and there's always an awesome car club gathering here
(4)Steve B.
Food was not that great; for a $10 burger and fries...it actually sub-par. Onion rings were alright, fries were seasoned. The burger itself...it was Big enough but Boy let me tell you..not that great. Or you get there early enough and pay $10 for a buffet, which isn't impressive either. Service: If you keep asking for things you might get it; even with a larger party we were part of, we weren't very attended to. Items were forgotten after being ordered. The place was hot and stuffy..we had to open the back door to get some cool air in. Restrooms were clean; so that counts for something I suppose. Maybe they rely upon the mini-car shows in the parking lot for business; but I won't be visiting again. Close it back down and let it be a relic of the past or work on the food the service.
(2)Scuba S.
Good food. Period. Shakes are amazing. Burgers are tasty. Glad they reopened this place
(4)Katheleen Y.
Good breakfast for a good price, haven't tried anything else other than the breakfast here.
(4)Maria B.
After much debate with the kids we came back. Our server Nancy was amazing, okay so it's not gourmet but you get a lot food for your $ buck. I do believe that the fact that it's a weekday made a significant difference. I will be happy to come back as long as it's a weekday.
(3)Sketch67 ..
A few years back I used to pass by the empty, broken down, abandoned structure and thought "Wow, that place has potential." I love the hot rod / muscle car scene and this place looked like a perfect hang out. The place started getting demolished and it looked like the dream was over but the city came through and the dream became true. Fast forward a few years and here I am writing a review for Bob's Big Boy Broiler. I've been here more than a couple of times, sometimes for car shows, sometimes to grub and I have not been disappointed. Every time I come here to eat I've had the pleasure of having great customer service. Most recently we had a wonderful waitress whose picture is floating around in the Photos section. She was the epitome of customer service. Just friendly as shit and cool to boot. We were drinking so much coke that she said "here, keep the pitcher" which only she can pull off because of her personality. She gave us the heads up on the happy hour deals and was more than attentive even though it seemed like she had 32 other tables to serve. After our meal she made small conversation and even gave us a heads up about other great deals in other restaurants! Who does that!? This only makes me want to come back here for more. As for the food, it's not bad but it's not the greatest ever. I had the Super Big Boy but went with regular thousand island rather than their sweet relish. I just can't get used to the awkward sweet taste. It's still a lot of food and if you don't get full then grab a shake.
(4)Don W.
First of all, whoever restored the building is a GOD!!! When I used to drive by the Broiler, I was always bummed that it looked like it would be demolished before the next time I was in the neighborhood. Much to my surprise, Bob's Big Boy not only bought the building, but saved it in a way that far exceeded any possible expectations I could have. WOW! I'm into architecture, and this was done right. Amazing. Now, to the food and service. My wife and I swung by about 1:45am, just 15 minutes before closing. You'd think we'd be rushed, but we weren't. We were treated great. My wife and I wanted to split the chili size (half-pound patty) and they did that for no charge. And, when I say split, I mean they served it in two separate bowls with separate garlic bread. Excellent service. And, the chili size? Basic, but superb. We weren't in the salad mood (the chili size comes with a salad), and the waitress substituted fries for the salad...for free, just minutes before closing. Again, this is the kind of service you want at a restaurant. Plus, our waitress looked the part, enhancing what was already a fantastic experience. I will say, the fries were disappointing (dry and skinny doesn't work for me). I'm deducting a point from Bob's for the fries, but they had earned 6-stars, so they still get a 5-star rating!
(5)Michelle T.
It's a decent place. I always feel like their menu and food dishes are pretty average. Their burgers and chicken double decker sandwiches are pretty good. If you get their side salad, try their bleu cheese dressing, it's super good! What makes this place really good, and gave them an extra star on my rating is their brownie hot fudge sundaes! Seriously amazing! We always save room so we can eat one for dessert. Overall a good place to visit every once in a while. Not super addicting, but it's always a nice restaurant to go with the family.
(4)Wilson T.
So I went through the drive-thru and it was a good experience. I ordered a quad burger with only two cheese without the pickles. I substitued onion rings for french fries for $0.50 more and they had CHERRY pepsi! Huge plus! The drive-thru window is somewhat small and you might drive past it if you're not paying attention! It took a little while longer than I thought but at least it was fresh. The onion rings came out piping hot and really well fried. The outside was just right. I didn't even use any ketchup because I ate them so fast. The burger was really good too. I don't know what sauce combination they use but it definitely had some mayo and ketchup, maybe a little bit of mustard. Everything was fresh and seemed really good.. The only reason for a 4 was that the meat was a little bit underwhelming, flavor wise and also that the drive-thru took almost 15 minutes. Otherwise, I would return!
(4)Angie F.
OMG was so happy to find a bobs big boy. My fav is the chili spaghetti!!! Yummy
(5)Ashley S.
Recently went and the service was absolutely terrible. I had to keep asking for refills and our waitress was slow to take our money to the point where I just left cash because we had to leave. We were very patient but it became ridiculous! On a better note, the food was delicious. I'd like to go back and try a milkshake.
(2)Tiffany C.
This place is so cute I couldn't bear to give it less than 4 stars. Came to eat lunch with the co-workers. It was a hard day, and I was really craving a hamburger and fries (a craving that only comes around less than once a month). But McDonalds or Jack in the Box wasn't going to satisfy this craving. No. I needed a burger I could really sink my teeth into. Well, thanks to Bob's Big Boy Broiler, I got what I needed. Because I really do love having mushrooms in my burger, I ordered the Bleu Cheese Mushroom Burger. I wasn't disappointed. The burger was huge, I could barely take one full bite (from bun to bun). The burger was good. The bleu cheese wasn't too overpowering, and just enough mushrooms to satisfy my craving. The fries, well with a little seasoning and dipped in my favorite fry dipping sauce of ketchup and ranch, that hit the spot as well. And of course, to end our meal, we ordered our shakes to go (mine being a delicious Vanilla one of course), to take back with us to work to add some sweet to an otherwise sour day.
(4)Joz Joz Joz W.
Nice Clean Decor: +1 star Free wifi: +1 star Great service: +1 star Great dessert: +1 star Music is nice (fits the ambiance), but is a bit loud for meetings. They let us sit in a booth (actually 2) for 4 hours while we met & worked. There's only 1 booth with an outlet and so when it opened up, they let us move over there. Open til 11 with free wifi.
(4)Mrs. C.
Sadly I was not impressed. The service was ok...and my omlette was eeeh. Who puts pickled jalapeNos in an omelette? I was hoping everything would be fresh...I've made better omlettes at home..... The fries were good....But then again I guess it's pretty hard to mess up fries...
(2)Haik K.
You know that feeling you get when you're driving on a road you have a million times before but this one time you decide to go along it a little further and find yourself somewhere completely different and far from what you previously assumed was further along the road. That's how I felt when I ended up at a car show here for low riders and some of your classic cars and bikes. Pretty cool show I must say. Apparently Bob's Big Boy alway hosts these kinds of shows which is what I am primarily reviewing. Went inside and the food is your usual diner food, the beers they had were PBR and Bud Light for 3 bucks a tall can. I ordered cheese sticks and just chilled. People ordered salad and burger, which was all good. This place was solid.
(3)A C.
Customer Service: top notch Cleanliness: very clean Food: best of Bob's Big Boy Overall: wonderful! I grew up eating at other Bob's BB locations. This one is top notch. We felt welcomed, our orders were perfect. I really can't imagine bad service here unless you walked in with a poor attitude. I don't necessarily think customer service means putting up with rudeness and lack of understanding that people are not robots and therefore prone to mistakes. Bottom line, I love it here! We got a bonus being able to admire the car show vehicles as they arrived. :-)
(5)Derek R.
Average--at best--across the board. If it didn't have its fascinating history (e.g., SoCal car culture, locations for various films) and it's unique Googie-style architecture, it's very hard to think that it would still be in business. As many have mentioned, service is a bit slack. It's not rude or inattentive, but it's not outstanding. Standard take the order/refill your drink once/give you your check activity. The legendary Bob's Big Boy burger left MUCH to be desired. With so many great burger joints in LA, its hype brings a presumption that it would have been a knockout. But, the patties were gray, greasy and thin (even with ordering the larger Super Big Boy) and nothing more than you'd get at a Denny's and the like.
(2)Mi T.
drive thru opens at 10am the waitresses were nice the food was of very poor quality as in where is the health dept when you need them
(1)Mike H.
Fast and attentive service, good no nonsense enjoyable food. It's exactly what you expect it to be from an LA diner. I'll go back next time I'm in the area.
(4)Benjamin C.
Ok so maybe I had too high of an expectation for this place. I am an avid MCD's fan and have been wanting to try Bobs Big Boy (BBB) for a while seeing as how MCD's ripped off the BBB's burger. The service was slow, and I mean SLOOOOOWWWW. It was drive through....jeez! The burger was ok, not great. MCD - 1and BBB - 0. The fries had nothing on MCD. MCD - 2 BBB - 0. BBB did have an awesome pie strawberry pie though! MCD - 2 BBB - 1. The burger was ok, it was lighter and airier than MCD. The fries were a bit thick compared to MCD. I had higher expectations, but I guess theres a reason MCD's beat out BBB. You're better off going to MCD for taste and speed.
(3)Mike P.
Great tasting food every time we go. The staff is always friendly and you can count on a great meal when you go!
(4)david m.
So glad this place is open again, it sure does Harvey's and Johnnies justice! it's all about the Big Boy burger. Cindy is the friendliest waitress. They're all great there, but Cindy rocks.
(5)Norma H.
The best burger in the planet is the best burger in the planet lol.... Love the retro feel and service...
(5)Vince V.
I though Fonzi was going to come out and give me a thumbs up or Kevin from the Wonder Years may pop up and do a voice over. Maybe Buddy Holly, Richie Valens or the Big Bopper would offer me a classic burger. Sure nuff, this was indeed the way Bob's Big Boy Broiler was meant to be. As you bite into a different era, sip the decades past us before digesting your way back to the mill era. I am stupid, i picked up a choco shake for my sis but did not grab one for myself, she said it was awesome, and I need to go back to try those classic Bob's shakes. I then told her about the journey seeing all those classic cars, black n white photos on the walls, Rock-a-billy's hanging out, old fashioned uniforms, real burgers being served and landmark of Downey, California back to its roots and thankfully, not a car dealership anymore. Patty melt, I had the double patty melt instead of the burger, though I hear the burger is better. The patty melt was good, if you like classic patty melts you will probably like this one. I prefer some sourdough, bacon but this was one was palatable. fries, Some say ok some say awesome, I liked them but would prefer if they were thicker onion rings Loved them, would not change a thing. they had a nice crunch but not hard on the inside. they were thick and breaded very well, no holes or patches. chicken strips I had brought these for the house, by the end of two days I had ate them and I enjoyed them hot and cold. Though I do not reccomend eating cold chicken. RATING in the future I have to try thier chicken fried steak, breakfast and milkshakes as well as see their car nights. Then I may change my rating to a 4 or 5 star depending on the experiences.
(3)Timmy S.
Nicely restored historic location with a great 50s vibe. My visit got off to a bad start when I pulled into a parking spot, opened the door and, thankfully, looked down before I stepped out into a huge puddle of vomit. And yes, there was corn in it. I moved to a different spot but at this point my appetite had vanished. I took a deep breath and went in anyway. A smiling waitress greeted me and I was quickly seated. A look at the menu got my tummy ready to eat again. Had a Big Cheese and Bacon Burger with fries. Good but not spectacular. Also had a chocolate shake and it was super fantastic - real ice cream and so thick. Really two shakes because they give you the metal canister with whatever they couldn't fit in your glass. I understand they have a classic car cruise night here each week but not sure what night.
(3)Moises A.
Spent my last day off at this place. I've never been her before. Very first and last time. I hate saying this because this place is in my hometown. Whatever, though. I sat down at the bar area. My waiter was very cool and attentive. Ordered a shake, chili cheese fries and a bacon cheeseburger. Food was made in a good amount of time. Just as I was about to take a big bite from my burger I see a small circular piece of mold on my burger bun. WTF? I was livid but kept my cool. mainly because, precisely at that time the lady next to me asked," Yo, can I get a 40 sack?" Took me a second to realize she was asking for a to go paper bag for her leftovers. The part that initially bothered me was the fact that the Manager, Jim left his employee hanging to deal with me. That was his opportunity to come talk to me. Jim came out later and apologized. His response was that he was unaware of his bread deliveries containing mold. Blame whoever you want but the responsibility rests with the cooks. My bill was comped. Left my waiter a tip. Ruined my lunch.
(1)Shane D.
Nice old schools diner ambiance, but not impressed with their food. I got their signature burger, the Big Boy, figuring if it's their most famous item it must be the best. Well if this is the best they have to offer, I won't be trying any of the others. It's not terrible, but there are dozens of better hamburger places out there. (In-N-Out & Fatburger crush this place for taste) The only cool thing is the 50's diner theme & car hop service. But you can get that at Johnny Rockets & Sonic if you really want it, and you'll probably get a better burger at both. The best thing here is the weekday all you can eat breakfast bar for $6. But again, the food on the bar is not great. So how good a deal is it really? Also, when the waitress brought the check she wanted me to sign it right then rather than dropping it off and coming back. She just stood there and waited for me. So I had to wipe the grease off my hands to sign, then keep eating. Dumb.
(2)Wendy J.
Been craving BLT's lately and has a pretty good one from here. This location is where the classic scene from "What's Love got to do with it" was filmed. When Ike said to Tina, "Eat the cake Anna Mae....I don't want the cake Ike. and he shoved the cake in her face. Also, on the second Thursday night of each month from 6pm - 9pm, they have a Bike Night and sell PBR's for $2. Lot's of bike's!
(3)Fern X.
When I visited this lovely restaurant a few weeks ago I got more than I bargained for! I was expecting a small little joint where you order your burger and you're good to go! Luckily my girlfriend and I were famished so in the end, it worked out. We were seated in no time and ordered their classic burger which was exceptionally delectable! One of the top five burgers I've ever had without question. They also add some sort of secret sauce that really brings the burger to life and whispers, "I'm scrumptious, aren't I?" The only setback that would have made my experience 100% fulfilling was if they had a Vanilla Coke shake but sadly I forgot to inquire... My Pulp Fiction fixation continues with discontent. So next time you're in Downey, stop by and enjoy a good burger with great atmosphere while they continuously play Elvis Presley as if he was the only singer at the time. Eyyyyyyy!
(3)S. M.
Here they go again. My wife loves this place. They had a January deal, 2 for 1 Bob's burger combo deal Tuesday nights. Our bill price? 9 dollars and change. I was glad to tip 20 percent on the original price for that. They even allowed my wife to substitute a salad for the fries as she's diabetic. Cool, cool, cool. BTW, check out the old-fashoned gums up front. Black-jack gum, Clove gum, pretty cool. This place will probably always be a favorite. Side note, if not on the menu? Ask about the open face turkey sandwich, be prepared, amazing, and almost guaranteed to give you a long winters nap on a winter Sunday afternoon or any day for that matter. The newer booths are cool, we always have a good time.
(5)Kim G.
Ok, I read the reviews and was ready to expect whatever I got. So here we go. Went today, and decided to take my parents. We walked in, and since it was early, it wasn't really packed. Which was good for us, since my dad hates waiting anywhere. We got seated right away. To start off the decor was really nice! So we got seated, and we given our menu's and asked for our drinks right away. So far everything was very attentive. I ordered the famous double decker burger with fries, and my parents got the chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and a green salad. To start off, the burger was awesome, and fries were very good. Portions not overly given, which was good, because what I did get actually filled me up. The chicken fried steak, I can honestly say was the best I've ever tasted. Crisp on the outside, and moist (Mandy H. loves moist), on the inside. Oh, and the mashed potatoes, oh my god were they delicious. All in all, Luis our server, kept our ice tea cups filled, and us content. Would I recommend: YES.. Things to note: Car hop service is from 4pm-10pm Hrs of service, well at least closing time: Sun thru Thurs, they close at 12am, and Sat and Fri at 2am per there sign. Lastly, they have a Drive Thru!!!!! Crazy, but yet cool.
(5)Yaya C.
The waitress was so nice & very attentive. The food was really good!
(4)Frank D.
Great decor and props for bringing back the downey classic. had a group of 15 people with four of us having a birthday. Got us sitting down in thirty minutes. everything was great. a word of warning is that this is a bob's big boy so strolling to far from burgers & fries at your own risk came another time in a 1963 ford mustang for carhop service and had a great time. recomend the car hop service hands down for get food and service faster
(4)Joann P.
This place sucked!!! I ordered a mushroom swiss burger it was gross it upset my stomach all day. I will NEVER eat there again. Stay away..... Over priced and disgusting food :(
(1)Pedro D.
Salty burgers and a sarcastic manager.
(1)Joe R.
I have been driving through Downey for years and never have been in BBBB before. Now, I wish I had stopped in sooner! The staff was great. Our server, Laurel, was vert attentive and knowledgeable without being intrusively chummy. I had the pulled pork sandwich (not soggy, delicious sauce), onion rings (REAL and very tasty), and a banana-chocolate shake. Portion sizes matched menu prices. I will be back!
(5)Elizabeth R.
I enjoy big bobs.. especially for the breakfast can't beat the prices! However, I had a sirloin steak with shrimp and it taste "mushy". I usually get my steak medium rare and I know it can taste chewy, but this steak dissolve quickly in my mouth. I recommend this place, just try to stay away from steaks.
(3)Sam F.
Just like the good o' days. Food is classic Bob's. Similar to Bob's Burbank with Carhop service and drive thru. Great deserts and service. These guys are on their game. Seemed like a ton of employees and my iced tea never hit bottom!!! Have the Big Boy Combo "Michigan Style" (no red sauce but with Thousand"! Can't wait to come back on Monday night with the kiddies. They have a balloon guy wandering around and seems like every time I drive by there is a hot car or ten parked out front. Thanks for Bringing back Johnny's with REAL FOOD... Bob...you got a friend in me!
(5)Crystal R.
I love bigboys, Ive been coming since it reopened. Their decor was kept really old school, along with a good atmosphere. I usually order the blockbuster, hash brown, bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes for $6! plus there's a free milkshake upon check in! their services is always great and its always clean. Their burgers are good, I'm not a big fan of relish, and they use some redish sweet relish, i hold on that. Impressed by their chicken parmesan, filled me up and I'm usually really picky with pasta sauce. Their buffet is not very big, small little stand, seems like a waste, you probably wont get a full meal out of that. They also host all kind of car events, mostly classics. FYI, it looks like they have a drive-thru, Ive seen it but never been thru it myself.
(4)Scott M.
Great service and food. Good ol car hop on wednesday night plus a car show on the first Saturday of the month.
(5)Paul C.
We went through Downey & decided to stop at this Bob's for lunch. It was the first time that we have been to this location since it opened. Right off the bat our server did not get our order right as we ordered one big boy combo to eat inside and the other combo to go. She put in both orders at the same time without even waiting until we were halfway thru our shakes. What I did not like was that when I was going to ask her a question, she said sorry that our order had already been placed and could not do anything about it. OK, After that what I didn't get was that she never came back to ask me if we needed anything. As I had to ask her for more water since she never looked up from behind the counter the whole time we were there. It was just not good. So Thumbs Down!
(2)john s.
I worked on a music video here a few Months ago and we were fed breakfast, lunch and dinner here. I was very impressed with this place. If you think the food here is bad, then you obviously haven't been to the taluca lake bobs. The food here was fresh, plentiful And not overcooked! The style of the place is perfect mid century, and the staff was very nice. This is a great place to bring large groups and old cars for the car hop service. Great job Downey Bob's!!!
(5)Winston S.
I was here 10 years ago, when it was Johnnie's Broiler. I love old diner type restaurants and am very glad that they kept this place from being a used car lot. The service was kinda slow, but the servers are friendly. I ordered a chocolate malt and Big Boy combo. Everything was good and I even bought a book about other diners from the front counter.
(4)Jessie F.
Good burger spot if you are in town. Double Decker original is the way to go, and the shakes here taste great too. Chocolate Peanut Butter and Strawberry Cookies and Creme are great choices for shakes here. Also if you are in for a quick desert, they got a bunch for only $1.99 each. Good to see a good Downey historical place come back after the wreckage/auto-shop days. Definitely can return.
(4)Jermiralinestine I.
I decided to come to this place because of a billboard that we saw on the road, and when me any my hubby came here it was nice. Food was different from the other place that we eat. Normal burger and fries, and steak as well. The only difference is that there is no salt on the fries and the food was different that you could really taste it. DIfferent in a good way. Since I do have issues with my kidney my hubby told me that it was a good place for me because not much salt and the food was just natural. I also brought my parents here when it was there last day in California, and right on time it was also a bike show. My parents love the food! From the salad, burger, soup, steak and shrimp they loved it. They said it was so different from other burger places. The only problem was the service was a little slow, and maybe because of the fact there were so many people, but either than that it was good experience.
(4)Joy T.
My first time to try this place....ordered the Strawberry Milkshake. WOW! Yummmmm! LOVED it!
(4)Jack S.
Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler was an iconic Downey landmark since 1958. In 2007 it was partially and illegally demolished without proper permits or city clearances. The city of Downey stepped in and approached Jim Louder, a Bob's Big Boy franchise owner, about possibly taking over the remains/restoring what was left of the once famous restaurant. In 2008 Jim Louder and family decided to rebuild the restaurant as a sister location to their Torrance Bob's Big Boy on Hawthorne Blvd and PCH. Working with the city of Downey and LA MODCOM, the original 1958 Paul B. Clayton blueprints were pulled and a historic preservation architect underwent the task of creating a Bob's Big Boy Restaurant that would rival the famous Toluca Lake, the top selling location in the chain, as a franchise business. The result is a fusion of contemporary Bob's Big Boy style and the historic Downey broiler. The food is excellent and surpasses Toluca Lake for quality, cleanliness and price value. The staff is for the most part very friendly. The owner, Jim Louder, takes a very personal touch with his restaurant and is very enthusiastic about the site's history, and the structure's authentic restoration. There is a nice customer base of locals and regulars that are very entertaining. Bob's Big Boy Broiler is a very heartfelt, soulful and loving tribute to Harvey's/Johnie's Broiler. It tries to stay as true to the area's roots as possible and is a very highly polished contrast to the rough-neglected Johnie's that stood watch on Firestone blvd. for so many years. I've been to almost every Bob's Big Boy in Southern California and by far this is the best one on almost every level. They host numerous community events and an awesome vintage car night on Wednesdays. They even offer car-hop service, have a drive-thru for your convenience and numerous location specific entree specials. Good food, good prices, nice people... cool building!
(5)Ron B.
I love this place. I have to drive a bit out of my way to get there, but it's worth it. Great architecture, neat history, super-friendly and attentive staff. Each time I go I end up stuffing myself silly because the burgers and shakes are so fantastic.
(5)Maite P.
Great place to eat when you're depressed! :/ Delicious burgers and amazing deserts! Awesome service! Thanks Diana :)
(5)veronica d.
I had never been to Johnnie's Broiler and had been to Bob's Big Boy once on my way back from Vegas, so when this location was to open I was excited. My husband and I went during the grand opening week and enjoyed their service. Our waitress was super nice & quick. We have been to Bob's Big Boy a few more times and the last time was mid October. We had great fast service again, our waiter had a smile plastered on him the entire time which was weird at first but it made us feel welcomed and our experience was great. I also saw the waitress from our first visit, she had a different uniform on so I'm guessing she is a manager now, I pointed it out to my husband and we both agreed she deserved it. I definitely recommend the Bob's big boy original double decker combo - I don't like relish, however I think it's delicious as their "special sauce." There's plenty of parking and the wait is not that long, usually no more than ten minutes.
(5)Gail M.
This place is cute, so 1950's. It was my first visit: I had cute & bubbly servers. I came here w' my date and we ordered "the healthy stuff" and boy was I missing out... The table across us, did it right, they had huge burgers with tons of fries. A plate of chili cheese fries was plentiful too. I can see why this place is popular. I really do suggest coming here getting your burger & fry fix! It looked sinfully yummy! Even the hamburger bun looked delish! I ate fish taco's: yummy but the sauce on it was a little to spicy for me, eep! I shared a bowl of chili w' my date OMG I loved it! From the looks of it, the place seemed like they connect well w' the area because they participate in events w' the community like hosting car shows and fundraisers. I give it 4 stars for the huge portions, upbeat servers & mouth watering CHILI, yummay :) I will definitely come here again to try the food that everyone else ate, but only if I half it w' my date. (Doctors orders: cutting down the calories, haha!)
(4)PrincssD R.
Love the Original Double Decker Burger (aka: Big Mac ;) I ask for it with thousand island instead of their dressing..... sooo yummy. Pair it up with a shock top and some fries and i'm in heaven! If I leave half of the burger it's only to make room for dessert! Man do they have some good stuff. Fudge sundae, Shakes, pies......
(4)Loren W.
Stopped in after seeing the big boy on the roof. We were greeted by Janette who seated us and took our order. The food was great and Janette's service even better. Great value also.
(5)S H.
I finally got a chance to come here last week. The service was good and quick. The food (I ordered the grilled lemon chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables) was decent. Granted most places aren't good at cooking chicken breast to not be so dry, Bob's was no different. From what I've heard, the burgers were decent. Overall, it wasn't too bad and I didn't get a chance to try everything, so I'll be back to give it a shot.
(3)Jenna L.
The only thing I remember about Bob's Big Boy from back in the day is the huge Bob. Now that they have a location conveniently located just 25 mins away from me, I can take that trip down (foggy) memory lane. This Bob's is on the site of the famous Johnie's Broiler which served the local community from 1958-2007 when it was demolished and turned into a used car lot. Even though it's no longer Johnie's, I feel that Bob's is doing their part to pay homage to such a historical site. Bob's food is classic, all-American comfort food. We came here on father's day at the begging of my brother and had a nice family breakfast/brunch. I only wish I had ordered something other than the breakfast buffet. The buffet was sub par compared to the dishes ordered by those around me. The only real great thing was the menudo which was a suprising but warmly accepted addition to the buffet. Next time, I'm getting a burger so I can taste this chain in all their glory. I'm probably gonna try their car hop service too. Why not?!
(3)Natalie V.
Breakfast buffet was yummy..not the best I've had, but it's my expectations weren't exactly high. My 17 year old "I live off of hot cheetos and onion rings" brother loved it! Will be coming back again!
(3)Leslie B.
Good customer service.. Food.. not so great.. Very nostaligic place with a lot of history. Come here for shakes, desserts.. and the car shows.. Food is mediocre and overpriced.. oh.. and PABLO.. was the best dessert maker ever.. too bad. he's not there anymore..
(3)Javier J.
I have to tip my hat to this place. They managed to bring back from the dead a Downey Classic. Many know Downey as the home of the oldest building Scottish fast food joint McDonalds, but now they'll have to add in that it's the home of the originators of what you know as the Big Mac. The classic big boy combo looks much like a Big Mac. Has the two patties and the bread between them.. But this one was a Big Boy original before that damn Ham burgler got his title by stealing the concept and idea of it and making it a Mac Tonight. This is the staple burger I get when I come to this joint. I've been getting it like that since long before I can even remember. It's really one of the only places my dad took me when I was little as a special treat. It's where I learned to love Blue Cheese dressing. For that matter, it's the first salad I actually remember not having to be bribed to eat. So this location.. focus, focus. I liked it. It used to be Harvey's, another sort of Bob's style drive up service place. That joint went out of business long ago and for as long as I can recall, whenever I drove by on Firestone, it looked like it was one stone's throw away from falling apart completely. So when they destroyed the last remains of it I was bummed, but was completely happy when I heard Bob's Big Boy was opening up there. They got that shit down perfectly. I'm sorry for my language there, I was just amazed as to how much of a trip back in time this place is without feeling like it's too gimmicky. They nailed it perfectly. It looks like you went back in time. I'm sure when it's the weekend and car service is up, it is amazing. Only bad part was we got here pretty late, after venturing into Downey a bit late the food options weren't all that great and I remembered this new location and was excited to go. It was about an hour before closing time and you can tell all the servers were about half way mentally checked out. Service was painfully slow. I had to bite down on my nostalgia of the place to really not get upset at how the servers lacked any ability. They didn't ask if my gal wanted fries/cole slaw and they brought it with fries. They remedied that by bringing the cole slaw as well. that was nice of them. Over all, it was really a matter of it beng late and the workers just not giving a fuck as to why I'm giving this a three star review. It's A-ok. The food, while it may taste great to my nostalgic sense, is pretty much average. I guess it's the memories attached to it that make it taste better. Or at least counter act the large amounts of what taste like heavy MSG flavoring in the food. If you want a trip back in time, come down to this location. You'll be amazed by the looks and you'll at least get some food, hopefully better service.
(3)Rafael J.
The last time I was here I walked out because I didn't want to eat bugs. The manager got back to me and assured me they were working improvements. I decided to check it out again. I 'm sorry say it's not looking good. The section we were sat in wasn't too packed but a couple of tables had not been clean. The table was whipped off but I could tell if it was clean. The food was ok but not that good. This place has potential but doesn't come through.
(2)Lily T.
I was driving to Mimi's when I came across the re-opening of the Bob's Big Boy. I was extremely excited because this place was a landmark. It was destroyed awhile back and the City was not sure they were going to rebuild this extraordinary place. I guess you can say that I'm kinda bias. I use go to Bob's Big Boy as a child and love the burgers and shakes. I have to say its the atmosphere of the place that takes you back to the 4o's or 50's. The burgers were just as I remembered and the milk shakes are to die for. There service was okay (kinda long for lunch). Its a great place to check out one. It a place that will have a little of California history =)
(3)Carm S.
I was a big johnnies fan so this place brought back memories for me. Loved that the kept the same layout and colors in the booths in the front!! Service was pretty good, even for being new. I mean the servers forgot to bring things like dressing, and got one order wrong for our party of 7 but after we mentioned it they were very quick to bring us everything we asked for!! They still gotta iron out small kinks like that but overall not bad at all. I had the carhop and everyone in my group agreed it was the best burger at the table (cheeseburger with grilled onions, mustard) It was perfectly cooked and so juicy! This place is strictly a family joint but it was fun. Come on car show nights lots of cool cars to see and ambiance! Oh and bob came out and hung out at our table, it was hilarious!
(4)Nadia V.
I don't understand how people that rated this place 2+ stars can even rate anything good on yelp. This place is retarded. I came here for breakfast Saturday and since i was by myself i sat at the counter. I waited for a good 7 minutes before i could get anyone's attention. The busboy looked at me and walked away, and he didn't even offer any help. I had to ask him if i could get service. The waitress finally comes over and she takes my order down. She brings my coffee over and while i am waiting for my food she comes over a min later and says; "is everything okay?'' and i respond; "yes it is :)" and she replies with; "oh yeah, you're just waiting for the food right?" i look surprised, and i wonder if she is retarded, i just reply with... "YEAHhh". Another waiter brings my waffle. I look at the plate and wonder why there's burnt waffle crumb on my plate. Half the strawberries on my waffle were old and soggy, and they put so much whipped cream on my waffle, i thought i was going to die from a heart attack. The guy waiter asked me; "is there anything else i can bring you?" and i say; "syrup please..." he looks at me surprised at my request and says; "SYRUP? you want syrup?" at this point i wanna shoot myself for ever making this food dinning mistake. There was 1 other person eating at the bar, it wasn't that busy and my server was more concerned about refilling her sugar containers than she was offering me another cup of coffee. This place is an embarrassment to the food and restaurant business. I get better service at my neighborhood McDonald's. I wondered if the entire staff all graduated from Downey High because they all seem a bit slow to me. WILL NEVER BE BACK AGAIN.
(1)Karla G.
Great service, great food! Will definitely be back soon :)
(5)Anna B.
WOW!! They did an amazing job building this Bob's in the ashes of the illegally demolished Johnie's Broiler! As we approached on Firestone Blvd., the giant rotating Bob on the roof beckoned with his burger held aloft. I was so excited to see this place, after months (years!?) of reading about the efforts of the L.A. Conservancy and the City of Downey to do this right. The layout is open and airy, with awesome retro rock walls and beautiful comfortable booths in olive green and cream vinyl. The light fixtures are gorgeous and give a wonderful authentic feel to the place. Things were crazy for breakfast on Saturday, a good thing! This did mean some back ups in the kitchen, so be patient if you visit now, when they are still ironing out the kinks. Service was great, with tons of refills and notifications of the delays. That's all I ask when there is a problem in the kitchen! Please don't ignore us! They have actual car hop service nightly, from 4PM to 10PM and I'd love to visit when the neon is blazing. The menu compares to other Bob's restaurants, and the prices are very reasonable. Step back in time and visit!
(4)Frances P.
Bob's is a fun restaurant to go to that always has a social event happening from book signings to car shows. Yesterday, they had Bob's taking picture with little ones and two ornate semi's. The 50's ambiance is great! The Pappy Parker chicken is tender and juicy and we often buy it to go. Breakfasts are delicious and very affordable. I often order the Big Boy's special with hashbrowns, eggs, sausage and pancakes...guess how much? 5.99 What a deal. They have good shakes and delicious onion rings. Aside from that, their food is not that great. Their burgers are not very good nor their french fries. It's a fun place though.
(3)Vanessa C.
I was really disappointed when I finally ate here. We had lived walking distance from this location and the patties were gi-normous compared to the buns and the taste was the pre-frozen kind-yuck. The best of the meal was the fries which I had to add seasoning to once I got home. What a bummer I was so pumped! The re-vamp is awesome though...
(2)John M.
Great atmosphere. Go on Monday night and watch the baloon artist create some amazing things. Say hi to Joe
(5)Rango R.
Bobs big boy burgers are flavorless. Even mcdonald burgers are better than this! And thats not saying much because everytime i ate mcdonalds i threw up. And mcdonald burgers are way cheaper and are the same as eating your own feces. Bobs big boy is expensive and for no rational reason. Based on the reviews i've read i've concluded that the only reasons given as to why this place receives more than one star is because of its historical significance, AWESOME INTERIOR(no really it is pretty cool) and nostalgia. The wait time is too long, like i was waiting for an in n out burger, SHYUH! but instead im served (again) feces.
(1)George R.
Bob's is awesome! I don't care what some of the other posts have said, I have been there at least 20+ times and have never had a bad meal. Also if you are looking for some great deserts this is the place. Wed. night is cruise night----classic cars. Monday nights from 5-7 bring the kids. There is a balloon artist that can make anything.
(5)Victor G.
I heard about this place, but never been to Bobs. So I went last week and I ordered the original double decker burger. the burger is good as well as the fries. I gave this place 4 stars because the service was pretty slow. I mean I asked for ranch for my fries and the waiter completely forgot to bring my ranch after he said in a min.
(4)Jennifer P.
Atmosphere, service, and food were all excellent. Add in a few classic cars that congregated in the lot and it was a perfect evening. I highly recommend the pastrami chili cheese fries.
(4)Guillermo V.
Went on a Wednesday night to check out Hot Rod Night, didn't know that they had car hop service like in the 50's, looks great. Got A cobb salad, was really good, service was great, plenty of parking, next time going to try hot fudge cake.
(4)Oscar G.
Went to bob's big boy for lunch and wow, I have never had such a flavorless burger in my life. The patty was gray/ pale almost white. I've been to a few cafes and know that it should not look that way. Since I'm to cheap to throw away a meal I forced it down. I also had onion rings and what can I say. Another disapointment. Extremely greasy and the batter had no flavor. I'm glad that u can't screw up pepsi. Not sure how this place will survive because this is definitely not a come back. Oh I almost forgot. The waitress was very nice and friendly. That's y they get one star.
(1)Luis C.
wow !!!!!!!!! a+ all the way jim the owner has done a great job and his daughter lindsey is his right hand togehter this place is like heaven food is great and every month they car show or some type of charity event of course everyone has to have the big boy combo but try the pastrami with french fries they aslo have a car hop service with girlz on roller skates so you are there talk to jim and lindsey tell them luis & elaine from mel entertainment send you
(5)Kristen A.
I love Bob's! This was my first visit to the Broiler location & it was great. Our server Ana was efficient & friendly, you could tell she loved her job! Can't wait to try the car hop next time. If you've never had their famous Hot Fudge Cake, it is perfection!!
(5)Christina M.
I enjoy the drive-thru. I dined in for the first time recently. Service was great. Prices were okay. My meal was a huge portion and the shakes are good. I want to come back for the car shows.
(4)Allison C.
When I moved to Downey, I was so excited to see Bob's Big Boy of my childhood! We just went there for breakfast. It's really nice that they serve breakfast all day. We ended up getting the breakfast buffet for $8.99. It was a nice spread-- they pretty much had anything you could want. It wasn't very visually appealing, the way it was presented and I almost opted not to get it. But the food was pretty darn good. Good waffles, pancakes, french toast. One con is that the booth seats are some weird vinyl blend that are really hard to slide in on--they feel almost tacky. But we had good service and good food for a good price. A-Ok in my book.
(3)Carol J.
Like the other yelpers, I have been excited to visit this restaurant since it opened.....i used to go to Bob's frequently as a child. We went yesterday with the kids, and we only waited a short time, which was great since the previous weekend I tried to go, but left after a long, long wait. We all ordered something simple, the kids had pancakes and eggs, my boyfriend had the Big Boy Burger and I ordered a cobb salad because I have been craving their famous Bleu Cheese dressing! Well, food took forever to arrive and once it did, they brought my salad with no dressing. So I had to ask again for it, and the guy who brought it seemed surprised..."Oh, you ordered dressing? What kind?" That already had me a little bothered, OF COURSE I WANTED DRESSING WITH MY SALAD! But I politely said "yes, I ordered Bleu Cheese please"......I was helping the kids cut their pancakes, so after he brought the dressing and I finally started to eat, I notice my salad has no avocado on it.....so I called the waitress over, asked for the avocado. She said she would bring it. Then, after a long time, I see her emerge from the kitchen, but with a tray full of drinks for a table nearby....she looks over at me.....nothing. She comes back to a table right next to ours.....nothing. So I call over a busboy that is with her at the table, ask him for the avocado, then she comes over like it just triggered her memory....."Oh yea, can you please bring them a side of avocado?" I was practically done with my salad by that time and the rest of my family were done with their meals. I mean, I ordered a cobb salad, it's not like I ordered avocado as an extra or something. I love Bob's and I won't lie, I might go back because I live nearby and the kids love this place just based on looks alone. But, service was not good....and food wasn't oustanding. Decor was nice though and it has a very clean appearance. Theres also the huge Bob Big Boy outside and the kid's love taking a picture while standing next to it.
(2)Craig H.
Very nice experience - good service, great hamburger and fried chicken. The restaurant is quite nice inside, not so close quarters like others. The food really reminded me of my youth - very good.
(4)Keian K.
I was very much looking forward to the reopening of Johnie's Broilers, now known as Bob's Broilers. I've been there twice since it has reopened and both visits have been awesome.. the food is very affordable and tasty. They have your basic diner foods from hamburgers, pastrami, to steak and breakfast dishes. What I did miss on the menu, which I wish was there is a tuna melt.. but I digress. I usually do not tip and I know its frowned upon but I believe automatically tipping is for suckers. I have tipped both times I've been here.. and good tips as well, because the waitresses here are awesome with their service. I might have just got lucky with the two I got which my first visit was in the afternoon and then 4 months later late at night.. .. and they both were very courteous and made sure I enjoyed my food. One went as far as to say if I didn't like something they could get something else for me, and this was when I was trying to decide what to order.. I was on the fence and the waitress offered that to me. Great place, I vouche for it and I suggest you take a trip there sometime soon.
(4)katharine r.
If you ever thought you were a vampire, than this is your place. Breakfast starts whenever you get your blood shot eyes up. Generous portions of tasty scrambled eyes, and me the picky eater - bacon the way I want it. Extra crispy, please. Car shows rock and you can see some really weird ones, like a BMW where the front door is the front of the car. Wacky! I missed the low rider show, but I know I will drive all the way down there just to see it. Crowded and happy family fun. I like the starlight polar lounge, you could come for prom here! The counter is a beehive activity. The owner cares about cars and his place, and it shows as it is family adventure. Restorations take lots of energy, money, and stick-to-itiveness. Under some hands of caring folks through the Friends of Johnie's Broiler, L.A. Conservancy, and various car clubs made it come back to life. I hope you will celebrate success by coming to Bob's like I do - breakfast at night. Maybe you will stay there for 3 hours like i did! I love the salads, too. It is a total tough of greens and odd ball fun crunchy stuff.
(5)